The Queen and her Knight
by YuGiOh-Lover25
Summary: What if there'd been a mix up? What if not only Yuri had been born, but a sister as well? What if the Great One had chosen a Demon Queen instead of a Demon King? Read the story to find out what would have happened if it'd been a girl instead, Yuri's twin sister, Kazumi Shibuya. ConrartxOC SEASON 2 - Monochrome Water
1. I'm the Demon Queen!

What if there'd been a mix up? What if not only Yuri had been born, but a sister as well? What if the Great One had chosen a Demon Queen instead of a Demon King? Read the story to find out what would have happened if it'd been a girl instead, Yuri's twin sister, Kazumi Shibuya.

I rollerbladed back home while my big brother Yuri rode his bike. It'd been a long day at school and we were both rather tired. Suddenly Yuri stopped, staring at the middle school baseball team. I skidded to a stop, watching him. He looked at it longingly and I sighed, sliding closer to him.

"Yuri? You alright there?" I asked hesitantly. He sighed, glancing back to look at me. Our identical black hair and black eyes were the only two things we had in common. Most of our values and morals were the same as well, but our interests and talents were completely different. Yuri is into baseball and morning jogs, anything sporty. I'm into dancing, extreme climbing, singing and the fine arts.

"I just miss baseball, that's all" Yuri stated, giving me a smile as he began riding along again. I began skating after him, yelling for him to wait up. He smirked, continuing to ride ahead, leaving me behind. I stopped, leaning on a post to catch my breath. I glared at him as his figure disappeared into the distance. I sighed, skating into the park and sat on the edge of the fountain. The weather was so nice and calm, not a trace of a cloud in the sky. I sighed in content, feeling the wind blow my long black hair. Suddenly I felt myself falling backwards. I gasped, suddenly hitting the water and feeling myself being twisted and turned, as if being thrown into a whirlpool.

This was unreal, why was this happening!? It's impossible to be flushed down a fountain, right!? Big brother… Yuri… anyone, help me! I hit something hard, feeling my vision black out. When I regained consciousness, I blinked in confusion, staring up at the sky. My surroundings had changed drastically. I suddenly found myself in an olden style of town or village. What the heck happened? Did I get a concussion? I sat up, examining the area in confusion. As I walked around, I heard something fall to the ground. I turned to see a woman standing there, a basket of strange looking fruit on the floor. She was looking at me in terror. I raised a brow as she spoke a strange language. The fruit that had fallen to the floor caught my attention as one rolled to my foot. I knelt down, picking it up and offered it to her.

"Sorry about the fruit, can I help you pick it up?" I asked and she freaked out, yelling something in her language and running off before I could find a way to stop her. What was her problem? She rushed to some men from her village. All of them were dressed in old style clothes, like back from the early Victorian days. They continued to say stuff in their language. Suddenly they threw rocks at me! I cowered, covering my head as the rocks hit me, hurting like hell! I turned, running off as a loud horse neigh caught my attention. I stopped, sighing as the rocks stopped.

A big man, and I mean a BIG man, sat on the horse. He was really buff, had blonde hair and blue eyes, tan skin and was wearing some kind of military outfit.

"Thank goodness, you got them to stop. I couldn't figure out how to communicate with them, so thank you" I said gratefully as he spoke in the language again. I blinked at him as he jumped off his horse, walking to me. I backed away a step and felt his large hands suddenly grab my head.

"W-Wait! What're you…!" I tried to say when I felt a really bad pain explode in my head. I froze to the spot, letting out a scream as it felt like my brain was trying to explode. Finally the pain subsided and he let go, allowing me to fall to my knees. I clutched my head, feeling a massive headache coming on.

"What gives? That hurt…" I muttered.

"That should do it" the main said as he pulled his hands back to himself. I froze, looking up at him.

"That's strange, I'm able to understand you… How're we suddenly speaking the same language? Oh well, at least we can communicate now" I commented, seeing him snigger.

"Why'd it appear here of all places? It's a bad omen! Hide the children! Oh what's the use, our village will be destroyed just like that other village 20 years ago…" the villagers muttered to themselves. The man smirked at them.

"Now calm down! She doesn't appear to know anything, so maybe we can peacefully convince her to come with us" the man stated, making the villagers look at him in horror.

"Trust this demon!?" they exclaimed, making me glare at them. I have a name… geez…

"Yuri!" exclaimed a male voice from the distance. Both the men and I turned to look at four soldiers riding horses directly to us.

"Yuri! Yuri!" called out one of the men on the horses. He was well built, about in his early to mid-twenties in appearance, had short brown hair and brown eyes with a touch of silver in them. I blinked in confusion. How did he know my brother's name? I mean, I know we look pretty similar, but does my brother seriously have long black hair and wear a skirt!? Is it that hard to tell us apart!?

The tall man with blonde hair got on his horse, charging at the soldier. They both drew their swords making my breath catch in my throat.

"Get away from him Adelbert! Adelbert von Grantz! Why do you approach the national border!?" the soldier asked the man now known as Adelbert. They both rode at each other, clashing their swords of steel.

"Lord Conrart Weller! I see you're still as much of a stick in the mud as always. Still doing the Demon Kingdom's dirty work" Adelbert taunted, earning a growl from the man called Conrart. As I stood there and watched them while the other soldiers chased the villagers back into their village, I felt hands suddenly grab my shoulders, lifting me up into the air. I gasped, letting out a scream as my vertigo set in.

"Nice touch, using the fly bone tribe" Adelbert stated, smirking at Conrart as they glanced up at me. I blinked in shock, looking down at them, then gasped, bending my knees to hide under my skirt so no one could see.

"This tribe is extremely loyal! They haven't allowed personal grudges to affect their judgment" stated Conrart in a level headed manner. Adelbert growled, going in to strike again, but heard more soldiers approaching. He put his sword back, turning to look back up at me.

"Be brave! I'll rescue you soon!" he called out, riding away as the soldiers chased after him.

"Don't chase him too far men!" Conrart called out, looking up at me. I was seriously confused.

"Rescue me? Wasn't I just rescued?" I muttered, looking up to see a skeleton with wings, carrying me. I froze, letting out a scream as he guided me down to the ground. I jumped away from its grip, stumbling back and falling on my rear. I was shaking, looking up at it in fear.

"Yuri?" asked Conrart as he approached me, giving me a questioning look. I looked up at him, standing and dusting off my skirt quickly.

"Do I honestly look like my brother that much!? I've got long hair and I'm wearing a skirt, can you honestly say you can't tell the difference between me and my twin brother!?" I snapped, panting to catch my breath from my outburst. Conrart was blinking at me in shock.

"I apologize, we were told 20 years ago we'll have a Demon King, it appears the Great One must've chosen a Demon Queen instead… I was told it was going to be your brother Yuri. Did you just say you and Yuri are twins?!" Conrart asked in shock, the realization hitting him. I sighed in frustration.

"Am I talking to myself now? Yes, Yuri is my big brother, he was born 5 minutes before me. Why? Are twins such a rarity here?" I asked, glancing up at him. He was very handsome, but his cluelessness was beginning to piss me off. Were girls that unusual here or something?

"May I ask your name?" he asked, gently leading me away.

"Kazumi Shibuya. Proud daughter of Miko and Shoma Shibuya, little sister to Shori and Yuri Shibuya. And you?" I asked, not letting him get too much contact due to the fact my clothes were still soaked heavily.

"I am Conrart Weller, son of the 26th Demon Queen, Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg, younger brother of Gwendal von Voltaire and older brother of Wolfram von Beilevelt" Conrart answered, leading me to his horse.

"Is there a horse I can ride on my own? I'd prefer you not to get soaked by my clothes" I asked, earning a curious look from him. He smiled regardless, asking one of the soldiers to ride with another and I hoisted myself onto the horse in side saddle style. Everyone looked shocked at this style of riding, including Conrart.

As we continued riding along, we approached a small hut. A man wearing white clothes and long silver hair rushed out, kneeling down.

"Your majesty! You have returned to us at last!" he declared, making me raise a brow.

"Majesty? Me?" I asked, settling the horse and jumping off, standing up straight and walking to the horse, patting its nose and along its face.

"Good girl. You continue to be good for your master, okay?" I asked the horse, resting my forehead on its face for a moment, before turning back to the man with silver hair.

"I think you must have the wrong person. There's nothing majestic about me, there's no way I could be a Queen. Like Conrart said, weren't you guys expecting my brother?" I asked, the silver haired man standing, examining me.

"Oh my! This isn't a boy, this is a girl Conrart!" the silver haired man exclaimed, making me refrain a growl.

"Yes! I'm a girl! Got a problem with that!? Go complain to my parents then!" I snapped, making the silver haired man jump back in shock. I crossed my arms, twitching in anger. Was it so bad I'm a girl!? Really, is it that bloody terrible!?

"Gunter, I think we should just accept the fact that Kazumi is a girl and that we have a new Demon Queen. She's Yuri's twin sister, so I feel it wasn't a mistake by the Great One. We should explain everything to her so she understands" Conrart stated, making Gunter stop freaking out and put on a smile.

"I apologize for my behavior, my lady, please allow us to dry your clothes for you, then we shall explain everything to you" Gunter stated, leading me inside. He prepared some towels, starting the fire up so I could dry my clothes.

"Just put your clothes on there once you've taken them off. Wrap yourself up in these towels so you don't catch a cold. We'll wait outside of a bit and give you time" Conrart stated, dragging Gunter out as I watched them leave.

"No peaking!" I yelled as Conrart began closing the door. He chuckled.

"Wouldn't dream of it Your Highness" he joked, closing the door as I tossed a book at it. He closed the door in time, the book hitting the door with a smack. I pouted to myself, undressing and placing my clothes on the rack by the fire. I wrapped myself up in the blankets, shivering, as I sat on the stool by the fire.

The door opened and Gunter and Conrart entered the room again.

"Your black hair is very long your Majesty. I didn't realize until you let it hang out, it goes to your waist?" Gunter asked, picking up a bit ever so gently, examining it in awe.

"Not quite, but close enough" I answered, giving him a mixed expression look. He was rather odd, the way he showed his devotion. I chuckled, finding him a little amusing.

"May I ask why your clothes ended up drenched Your Highness?" Conrart asked, sitting down on a different chair.

"I fell into the fountain in the park at home. I don't normally have a habit of swimming in fountains, but it felt like something dragged me in" I explained. Gunter suddenly looked shocked.

"It just occurred to me, how're you speaking our language?" Gunter asked, looking almost amazed.

"That's odd, your Japanese is so good I was going to ask if you born in Japan" I stated, rubbing the back of my head.

"No, this is my home" Gunter answered. I blinked in shock.

"We're not in Japan? I've never heard of a fountain sucking a person out of the country" I muttered. Conrart cleared his throat.

"We're not even on Earth, this is our world, your true world, in the Great Demon Kingdom" Conrart explained, making me jump up to my feet, clutching the blanket closely.

"That's what you guys say, but I'm having trouble believing all this! I'm a normal human girl! There's nothing exceptional about me except for the fact that I'm a lot more active than most girls! There are three options I can come up with! One, this is a theme park attraction, two, a hidden camera show, or three, a dream! And quite personally, I prefer option number 3!" I snapped, making them look at me in confusion.

"Please, calm down Your Highness. I will explain everything to you" Gunter explained. I sighed, sitting down and let him begin to talk.

"20 years ago, your majestic soul was sent to Earth to protect it due to a war that was happening in our world. Lord Conrart Weller was sent to protect that soul. We were told that our next ruler would be a boy, so we believed it to be your brother, however it appears the Great One had a change of heart, choosing you to be our ruler. I wonder, do you possess the soul the Great One chose as our ruler, or if your brother inherited it and he chose you instead. All we know is that he chose you, and you are to become the 27th Demon Queen" Gunter explained, making me gasp at the last bit. Demon Queen!?

"What!? Demon Queen!?" I exclaimed, jumping back in shock, falling backwards off my stool. I'm pretty sure my legs were showing mostly, as I scrambled back into a sitting position, trying to cover myself so I was semi-decent.

"Your Majesty!?" Gunter exclaimed, rushing to me and helping me stand up as Conrart stood, approaching me. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. Demon Queen? Me? How the hell am I a Demon Queen?!

Later that night after my clothes had dried and I'd gotten dressed, I stood outside, looking up at the stars. I sighed. How'd I get myself mixed up in this again?

"Your Majesty? You'll catch cold being out in this cold breeze" Conrart stated, walking behind me. I turned to look at him, smiling gently.

"How did I get into this? How did I become Queen? It doesn't make any sense… how do you even know I'm the right one, not my brother?" I asked, earning a chuckle from Conrart.

"No, the Great One would never make a mistake like that. He chose you, you're our Demon Queen, and we just need you to accept it now and then we'll have a peaceful rule" Conrart explained, patting my shoulder. I sighed to myself.

"If I may ask something Your Highness, why do you put your hair up? It looks better down in my opinion" Conrart asked, making my glance up at him in confusion.

"Huh? My hair? You prefer it down? Hm, no one's said that to me before" I replied, pulling some of my hair in front of my shoulders. It had decided to curl a little due to getting soaked. Conrart smiled gently, grabbing a small piece of my hair, bringing it to his lips. I froze instantly, blushing insanely as I began to stutter.

"I vow to protect you Your Highness, even if it costs me my life, I will ensure your safety" Conrart vowed, gently letting the hair go. I simply blinked at him, too stunned and embarrassed to say anything. I let out a shaky sigh, before turning around, giving him a smile and began walking back in the cottage.

The next morning we began our long horse ride back to the castle. I was in the middle of our team of riders, still riding side saddle on my own.

"What an unusual riding style… how do you control the horse effectively?" Gunter asked, puzzled over why I didn't have a leg on either side of the horse. I giggled, remembering when Yuri had asked me the same question.

"It's called side saddle, it's a common style for women to use, and especially when they're in a skirt so they don't show their underwear to everyone" I answered, laughing. Gunter make a noise of understanding, claiming the human women of Earth were geniuses. This caused me to laugh more.

"So I've been wondering… you're all demons, correct? Does that mean you have magic? What kind? To make people fall in love? To change the weather? Summon tornadoes maybe?" I asked, earning laughter from them. I frowned, seeing nothing funny in my question.

"Our magic is different from that. One needs to be born with a particular type of soul to use magic, such is the Demon Race. Our souls correspond with a particular element, and then depending on our magic ability and strength, we are able to bend and control that element at will and request. Your soul however is an exception, your soul is so pure, being the Demon Queen, that you can control and use all the magic elements to your will, you shouldn't even need to make a contract with the elements" Gunter explained, making me stare at him, stunned.

"Um… will you explain that a little better? It just went straight over my head…" I asked and Gunter gave me a devastated look. Conrart chuckled, finding it amusing.

"I'm a half demon, so I don't have any magic powers" Conrart explained, and I blinked up at him in shock.

"A half demon? You mean like… you were born between a demon and a human? That's possible here?" I asked and Conrart chuckled.

"Of course it's possible. And yes, that's exactly what I meant. Your father is an exceptional demon chosen by the Demon King of the Earth to be your father" Conrart explained, and I thought for a second.

"Wait… you just said my father… That means, my mother's human? But doesn't that make me like you? A half demon? How come I can use magic and you can't?" I asked and Gunter laughed.

"Like I said earlier, it depends on the soul. Your soul is pure and can use all the elements, Conrart's however, is not as lucky. Half demons born of this world that can use magic are rare, almost impossible, but it seems more likely on earth" Gunter explained and I gave him a lopsided look.

"You make it sound like Conrart's not pure… he seems like a decent guy to me" I stated and Gunter muttered out an apology.

"I appreciate your kind words Your Highness" Conrart thanked, smiling as he let me ride ahead a little. The scenery was so nice, almost like the countryside.

Eventually we ended up in a small town. At the entrance, a small girl with purple hair approached me. She held a small cup of water.

"For you Your Highness" she stated, holding the cup up to me. I smiled, accepting the cup and lifted it up. Suddenly Conrart cleared his throat. I turned to look at him.

"Oh sorry, did you guys want some first? I should've offered, how rude of me" I apologized, offering him the cup.

"Just a precaution Your Majesty" he stated, taking a sip and reflecting for a second. He smiled, handing me the cup and I drank the rest. I sighed, handing the cup back to the girl.

"Thank you sweetie, it was just what I needed right now" I thanked and she smiled brightly, skipping off.

"In the future, never accept food or drink from anyone unless we have prepared it" Gunter warned and I looked at him in disbelief.

"Gunter, she was being nice. A sweet little girl like her wouldn't harm a fly" I stated, earning a stunned stutter from Gunter.

"It tasted just fine, it wasn't poisoned" Conrart stated and Gunter gave him a small glare.

"You're too much on the side of the citizens Conrart" Gunter warned and Conrart smirked.

"If I don't stand up for the citizens, who do you suppose will?" Conrart asked and Gunter was stunned into silence again. I giggled at their exchange, riding on ahead.

"Wow! This is the entrance to the main city? It looks like something from back in the Victorian times on Earth!" I exclaimed, looking around. The people had all gathered around, cheering. Flower petals fell from the sky and some children ran up, handing me bouquets of flowers. I accepted them, smiling and waving at the people. I noticed a man standing there, looking very regal with his soldiers.

"Who's that guy?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"That is my uncle, Lord Stoffel von Spitzweg, he ruled as the regent during the last Monarch's rule, aka my mother's. He abused his power in that position and started the war of 20 years ago, he'll probably try and approach you to win your favour, but don't worry, we're keeping an eye on him" Conrart explained and I frowned, looking at the man again.

"Don't worry, I'll watch out for him myself" I reassured, smiling back at the people again. I heard Conrart chuckle.

"I'm sure you will, you seem the type of girl not to be swayed by what people say" Conrart stated. I giggled.

"I get that from my brother Yuri" I explained, laughing. Conrart smiled, and I heard Gunter laughing. Suddenly a bee buzzed past, freaking out the horse I was on. It reared up, earning a shocked yell from myself as it took off. All I could do was hold on. I tightened my hold on the reins, pulling them in, but the stubborn horse refused to listen. It ran all the way to the castle, till it reared again, coming to a stop and throwing me off. I immediately jumped up, soothing the horse, telling it everything was okay.

"What's all this commotion about?" asked a deep voice, I looked up to see a man with long black hair, tan skin and dark blue eyes. He wore a frown, a very intimidating frown.

"Your Highness!" Gunter yelled, running up to me with Conrart.

"Your Highness! Are you alright?!" Conrart yelled, earning the scary man's attention.

"What did you say?! Your Highness!? I thought it was supposed to be a boy!?" he yelled. I frowned, not liking his tone.

"Well sorry, you got me instead…" I muttered, looking at Gunter and Conrart as they reached me.

"I'm fine guys, she just threw me off because she was spooked, that bee scared her" I stated, calming them down.

"Don't tell me SHE'S the new Demon Queen!?" asked a young voice. All of us looked up the stairs of the palace to see a boy about my age with short blonde hair, green eyes and a slightly gorgeous appearance. Just who were these guys? And why did they not like the idea of me being queen? I mean sure, I think I'd be pretty useless at it, but give me a break!


	2. Hot boy VS Ballet girl

The water felt absolutely amazing, just the right temperature. I waded in, sitting down as I let the water go to my shoulders. I sighed in relief, finding it to be exactly what I needed.

"Is this huge bath reserved just for me? It's humongous, I can't keep this all to myself…" I muttered, looking around as I buried my head under the water, emerging a few seconds later, my hair drenched. I went to go put some shampoo in my hair when I heard footsteps. I glanced to my right, seeing a women in her late twenties walk to the edge of the bath. She had really, really long, curly blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She wore nothing except for the towel she had covering her chest and torso.

"Oh my~ So you're the new Demon Queen~?" she asked, stepping in and walking to me. I blinked at her in shock.

"Um, isn't this a private bath? If I'd known others were going to come in, I would've worn clothes" I stated, even though we were the same gender. I was just shy that way.

"I've been wanting to meet you Your Majesty~ Fancy meeting you here instead~" she stated, as I backed away. She was a little too flirty for my liking. I backed away more, snatching my towel, jumping out the bath and wrapping it around my torso so it covered what it needed to, then took off as quickly as I could. I could hear her chuckling to herself.

"A naked woman in the baths? Really beautiful? What on Earth are we going to do?" Conrart asked when I told him what had made me run out the bath. I sighed, hugging the towel tightly to myself.

"It startled me… I wasn't expecting anyone to enter suddenly like that…" I stated, looking at the floor. I felt very exposed, wrapped up on nothing but a towel in front of Conrart and Gunter. Gunter turned to face us, a small trickle of blood running down his nose.

"Your Majesty, please change into this" he stated, handing me a strange piece of black cloth. I stared at it for a few minutes until realization struck me.

"Um… Is this…?" I asked and Conrart gave me an amused look.

"It's kind of our standard underwear here… All the lords and nobles wear them" he explained and I felt my face heat up.

"Um… So do most of the girls in my world, but I'm not that type of girl. And quite frankly, no one's going to be seeing my underwear so I see no need for me to wear what everyone else is wearing. I don't go with the flow, I do things my own way" I stated, handing the G string back to him. Gunter suddenly covered his face, looking horrified.

"Oh my! The most perverted, naughtiest image suddenly entered my head! I must go clear my mind!" he declared, running out the room. I watched him leave in confusion.

"Um… so, you said nobles wear these, right? Does that include you too?" I asked, looking at Conrart. He looked horrified for a second, before laughing.

"No, I'm not a lord or noble, so mine are normal" he stated and I sighed.

"I'd give anything to wear normal underwear too… Anyway, I'm not wearing this unless I can wear mini shorts as well under my skirt, otherwise everyone's going to see my backside if my skirt flies up in a gust of wind… and that's the last thing I want…" I stated, and I heard Conrart chuckle. He then sniffed the air, looking at me, then sniffed near my head. I raised a brow at him.

"Your Highness, you smell absolutely fantastic!" he exclaimed, slightly confused as well. I blushed insanely, trying to laugh off my embarrassment.

"Come on, it's probably the shampoo I used there… wait… I didn't get to shampoo my hair… all I got was a soak…" I stated, realizing the truth. What the heck did I smell of then? Suddenly we heard a crashing noise and Gunter exclaim loudly.

"Bad Gunter! Bad!" he yelled, more crashing noises clearly audible.

Conrart and Gunter led me to a large dining area, where the blonde man and black haired man from earlier already were. I sat where Gunter directed me, and sat down. I looked around at everyone, noticing that neither of them looked happy to be there. Well excuse me for not being a man!

"As I said before Your Highness, I have two brothers. This is my older brother, Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, and this is my younger brother…" Conrart explained, patting Gwendal's shoulder and then moving to the blonde's, but the moment his fingers made contact, the blonde growled, smacking his hand away.

"Don't touch me with those filthy human hands of yours! And I've never once considered you to be my Big Brother, the very thought makes my skin crawl!" he snapped, and I caught a show of pain in Conrart's expression, before he smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"As you wish, this is Lord Wolfram von Beilevelt, and as I said earlier, my name is Conrart Weller, and I'm not a member of the ten aristocrats, therefore I don't have von in my name. And unlike my brothers, my father was a human. There's nothing well known about my father except for his supreme swordsman skills" Conrart explained, smiling down at me. I gave him a small smile, seeing how proud he was of his father despite him being a human.

"And he was a hot hunk of stuff" finished a female voice and we all glanced at the entrance way to see a tall lady with long blonde, curly hair and emerald green eyes enter, dressed in a black provocative dress. It was the lady from the baths!

"Good evening mother" all three brothers stated, making me blink a few seconds until the realization of what they'd said hit me. What!? Mother!? She looked younger than Gwendal, so how could she be his mother!? Their mother in fact!?

"Long time no see Conrart darling~ Ooh~ you've become even more handsome than when I last saw you, just like your father~" the lady flirted, making my eye twitch a little in confusion. What kind of mother talks to her children that way? It confused me, literally confused me.

"And you my dear are even more beautiful than ever" Conrart replied, making me nearly choke. I know some kids like to say their parents are pretty and make their parents feel better about themselves, but I think that's kinda crossing the line, don't you think?

"Ooh, stop it with the flattery, I bet you say that to all the pretty girls out there, don't you naughty boy~?" she replied back, smiling brightly and patting his chest. I just looked horrified and confused, seriously confused.

"This is how she talks… to her own children?" I asked myself, seeing her head to Gwendal now.

"Oh Gwen, you're frowning again, that face is so unappealing~ You won't get any booty from the pretty girls in the kingdom that way~" she stated, resting her cheek on his chest. Gwendal stood there silently, not retorting back, and looking a little uncomfortable. I'm glad I'm not the only one finding this situation awkward. She then paused, glancing to her left, then gasped.

"Wolfy it's you~!" she exclaimed, running to him and burying his face in her chest.

"You haven't changed a bit, you're the spitting image of me~! All the men here must be lusting after you~!" she exclaimed, as Wolfram unburied his face, a light blush coating his cheeks.

"Mother! Calm down, I just saw you this morning! And besides, I'm not really into having men lusting after me!" he retorted back, frowning up at her. She looked at him surprised.

"You mean boys these days aren't into that?" she asked and I found this situation getting even more awkward.

"Well I'm not!" Wolfram stated, and I looked around, trying to make sense of this situation.

"Your Majesty! Why weren't we just swapping soap in the bath~?! You are the new Demon Queen, aren't you~?" she asked, clinging to my arm suddenly. I froze up, feeling like my personal space had just been invaded.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so…" I stuttered, wondering if I'd answered correctly. She smirked slyly, finding my awkwardness to be to her advantage.

"I've been hoping our next ruler would be a Queen, I don't suppose you have a boyfriend, do you~? If not, why not choose one of my lovely sons to be your husband one day~? Then you can call me Mother and we can all be family~" She asked and I stuttered, frozen to the spot as I looked at all three of her sons. The only one I would remotely even consider for that would be Conrart, but I don't know him that well, so no way!

"That's enough! Trying to marry off her Highness before she's even coroneted, it's entirely inappropriate for a retired Demon Queen!" Gunter reminded the lady, pulling her off my shoulder. She smiled at him, placing a hand under his chin.

"Stop it Gunter, that's just silly~ Now don't get so upset, you sound like a jealous lover~" she stated, and what Gunter had said dawned on me, along with what Conrart had explained earlier.

"Wait, you're their mother, so that means you're…?" I asked and she smiled, looking down at me.

"Queen Kazumi, welcome to the Great Demon Kingdom. I'm Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg and you're just inherited my old job~" she explained and I felt the weight of my position come crashing down on me. Wow, she's a retired Demon Queen and she looks so young!

"Oh enough! I wouldn't marry this disgusting excuse of a Demon Queen even if you paid me! I won't be fooled by her language or her hair and eyes! She's probably just some commoner born to filthy unworthy humans! How can we even know if she's the real Demon Queen!?" Wolfram snapped, smacking his hands onto the dinner table.

"Wolfram! Keep in mind it's the spirit that matters, not to whom she was born to. But if you're particular about lineage, Queen Kazumi's father is a proper subordinate of the Demon King of the Earth" Conrart explained and I blinked in shock. My father's a demon!? Why was this the first I'd ever heard of it?

"Even so, her mother's still a human! I'll bet she's just a hussy he picked up off the streets!" Wolfram stated and I felt my control snap. I saw red for a second as I stood, my hand clenching tightly as I struck Wolfram's face with my fist, sending him flying to the ground. I stood there, my hands still clenched into fists as I tried to catch my breath, calming myself.

"As long as it's about me, I don't care what type of trash talk you use, but as soon as you insult my mother, the proud Miko Shibuya, you've crossed the line! I'll never forgive you for what you've said, my mother happens to be a proud number one fencer from America on Earth, the top female swordswoman, and I'm proud to be her daughter! I aim to be just like her, so the next time you insult my mother, I'll cut you down myself!" I snarled, glaring down at him dangerously. Conrart rose from his seat, looking horrified.

"Your Majesty, did you just slap him?!" Gunter asked as he rushed to my side.

"No! I punched him! And I will not forgive him for what he said about my mother! Not ever!" I snapped, pushing at my cutlery and tossing it to the ground in my fury. I had no idea what would happen next.

"I don't believe this! A half breed punched me! I've never been so humiliated in my entire life! Therefore, I accept your duel!" Wolfram snarled, standing up and picking up my knife that had fallen to the floor. I blinked in confusion now.

"Duel? What? When did I propose that!?" I asked, looking at Conrart and then at Gunter. Gunter looked mortified.

"I look forward to charring you to cinders so no one recognizes your face" Wolfram taunted as he turned, strutting out the room.

It was then decided to cancel dinner that night. I stood outside with Conrart as he explained how I'd ended up challenging Wolfram to a duel.

"So, picking up or dropping a knife, even a butter knife, is a challenge to a duel?" I asked, looking at Conrart, sighing. He handed me a sword.

"This feels a bit heavier than the fencing swords Mum and I use, feels more like the bats Yuri uses for baseball" I stated, holding the sword still encased in it's sheath.

"I did my best to find you a lightweight sword, it's the best I could find" he stated, then blinked in shock as I unsheathed the sword, twisting and turning it in a slow sword dance.

"Not bad, I think I could work with this" I announced happily, turning and swinging the sword down, stopping in midair.

"Wow, this takes me back. The last time I touched a bat and glove was a year ago before Yuri quit playing baseball. He always demanded I practice with him, said he couldn't play by himself" I stated, reminiscing on the past.

"If he loved it so much, why do you think he stopped playing, baseball I mean?" Conrart asked and I glanced at him.

"Wait a minute, you know about baseball Conrart? Oh that's right, you protected Yuri's soul on earth for a few years until we were born, right? Of course you would've found out about baseball… anyway, baseball isn't really my thing, it's Yuri's, and I don't know why he quit, I just know he punched his coach and quit the team. I'm more into fencing, rock climbing, ballet and dancing, and I also like singing and drawing too. It's hard to do the rock climbing though, but the rest I do quite regularly" I answered, earning a chuckle from him.

"Why not tell me about your schedule back on Earth? I'd love to hear how busy you normally are" Conrart asked and I smiled, turning to face him, still holding the sword.

"How about we have a friendly practice duel and I'll tell you while we fight?" I asked and Conrart blinked at me in shock, then nodded, unsheathing his sword.

"Don't go easy on me alright, Wolfram won't, so I need to know how strong I need to be. I'm not gonna hold back!" I announced, dashing at him, my sword pointing straight. There was a clash of steel as our swords struck. I immediately could sense his skill with the sword, doing my best to hold the sword against his. He looked shocked when our swords clashed, but regained his composure when we split, charging at each other again.

"Pretty much, on Monday, I have school, then after school I go to ballet practice which lasts until late at night, about 9pm, then on Tuesday, I have school, then I go to dance class, it ranges in every different dance imaginable, except for classical ballroom" I said, clashing my sword against his numerous times. I dove at him again, jumping back suddenly and swinging my sword up, but he stopped my movement, smirking.

"Then on Wednesday, I have school, then I go to fencing lessons with my mother. That lasts until about midnight usually. Thursdays I go to school, then go to prep school after so I can keep up with my studies. Friday's are my only afternoon off. I go to school, then I can go hang out with my friends" I continued, jumping away from Conrart's sword, panting. He looked a little fazed, but still cool and collected.

"You sound very busy Your Majesty, all your lessons with Gunter shouldn't be as much of a shock to you then as they would be to a normal person. You're also quite skilled with a sword, you'd probably be doing better with a fencing sword, but it can't be helped. You're still doing very well regardless" Conrart stated and I blushed red for a second, glad that it was pretty dark out and he couldn't see my face very well except for what the moon showed him. I wasn't used to being complimented.

"Anyway, Saturdays I go to a building that specializes in extreme sports and I rock climb there till late. Its fun, climbing up a steep path as quickly as you can. The less spots there are to climb up with, the more challenging it is! Then Sundays, I go to singing class for the first half of the day, then I go to drawing class for the remainder of the day. It's tiring, but it leaves me fulfilled" I finished explaining, charging at Conrart again. He frowned, a slight smirk on his lips as he knocked my sword out my hand. I gasped, watching it fly to the ground, then smiled in defeat.

"I yield, you win!" I declared, raising my hands in a defeat notion. Conrart chuckled, sheathing his sword.

"Your skill is probably on par with Wolfram's, I don't know who will win the match, it could be either one of you" Conrart stated, smiling at me.

"Do I dare ask how many years of sword fighting experience you have?" I asked, almost fearful for the answer.

"About 120, well, that's my age anyway, so a little less than that" Conrart stated, and I fell backwards from the shock, landing on my backside on the ground. Conrart blinked in shock, rushing to me.

"Are you alright!?" he exclaimed and I laughed sheepishly.

"I should've expected such an answer… but it still took me by surprise… You look like you're about 25, not 120… most people croak and go six feet under before they even reach that age, and you still look young and fit!" I answered, laughing a little.

"Demons age differently from humans, our life spans are longer and we're normally about 5 times the age you expect us to be. The same should be for you when you remain in this world, seen as time passes differently between our worlds" Conrart explained, helping me stand on my feet.

"Thanks. By the way, you said you guarded Yuri's soul, correct? You're not my any chance the handsome young man that came to Mum's rescue when she was in labor, right?" I asked and Conrart chuckled, looking amused.

"You are, aren't you!? Oh man, that means you're the one that named Yuri! You're his godfather!" I exclaimed and he blinked in surprise.

"I'm his godfather? I never dreamt she'd name him after the word I mentioned that day, guess it was destiny" Conrart retorted and I giggled.

"Yeah I guess, if you believe in destiny" I replied. Conrart simply smiled at me, then we decided to retire for the night.

The next morning I stood outside, dressed in a female military outfit Gunter had prepared for me. It was black of course, much to my protest, and had gold trimmings on it. I held the sword tightly, pointing it down at Wolfram.

"This match is between Her Majesty Kazumi Shibuya and Lord Wolfram von Beilevelt, are you both ready?" Gunter asked. I nodded, preparing myself.

"I was born ready, I look forward to punishing you for ever thinking you could soil this castle with your presence" Wolfram declared, earning a growl from me.

"I wish there was a way to stop this…" Conrart muttered to himself.

"Come now Conrart… you sound worried… who's your fear for though, Wolfram or Her Majesty?" Lady Celly asked and Conrart looked down at her.

"I don't know, probably Her Majesty" Conrart declared, earning a giggle from Cecilie.

"Let the match, begin!" Gunter announced, and I let Wolfram charge at me. I blocked his attack, blocking swing after swing. He attacked with such force that he would surely tire himself out before long. He was clearly trying to knock my sword out my hands, but I wasn't going to let that happen.

I growled, twirling suddenly and smacking Wolfram in the back, sending him forward a few steps. It was a risky move if the enemy was expecting it, but Wolfram clearly hadn't. His surprise showed as he stumbled forward a few steps, turning to growl at me. I smirked, knowing that would tick him off. He charged again, and I swung my sword down, letting him approach me.

"Your Majesty! Defend yourself! Please!" Gunter cried out but Conrart smirked knowingly. I had to get the timing on this right, otherwise his sword would surely skewer me. I frowned, lifting my sword up with all my might at the last second, knocking his sword clear out his hands and flying away. He gasped in horror, watching it soar away. I pointed my sword at him, not letting him run after his blade.

"I haven't lost this battle yet!" Wolfram declared, summoning a fireball in his hand. I gasped, jumping back a step in shock. Was this what they'd meant about being able to control the elements at will?

"Wolfram, that's enough! Her Majesty hasn't been taught magic spells yet! She hasn't even made a treaty with the elements yet!" Gunter argued until Gwendal stepped in front.

"Why're you getting in my way?" Gunter asked and Gwendal frowned.

"I believe it's time for us to know the truth! If she really is the Demon Queen, then the elements should be willing to follow her without question, even without a treaty" Gwendal stated, making Gunter back off. I gasped, stepping back in fear. Fire was one of the few things that terrified me. I felt my breathing increase, sweat forming already.

"Have a taste of my fire attacks!" Wolfram snarled, sending raging balls of fire at me. I screamed loudly, jumping down and covering my head with my hands as the fireballs zoomed past. I pushed myself up into a kneeling position, panting heavily. Fire had that kind of effect on me, it left me paralyzed and unable to breath properly.

"Nice evasive maneuver, but let's see you dodge this!" Wolfram yelled, summoning a giant tiger of fire. I screamed instantly on the spot, jumping back so I was sitting on my backside, looking at him in fear.

"Now die you half breed!" Wolfram declared, sending the fire tiger directly at me. I screamed, rolling to the side as it flew past me. A female scream caught my attention, breaking me out of my fear induced panic, and both Wolfram and I looked up in horror to see a female maid screaming. The fire tiger exploded by her, and she fell unconscious on the floor in a heap of soot and ash. I stood there, watching, horrified, until my anger snapped.

I looked down, my breathing calming. The temperature began to drop rapidly. Wolfram gasped, his breath coming out in a white cloud.

"What's this?! It's freezing out here!" Lady Celly asked, shaking from the cold. Gunter and Conrart looked at each other, their breaths also coming out in white clouds. White flakes slowly began to fall to ground, the clouds turning dark.

"What's going on here!?" Wolfram asked, then gasped as my hair grew a little longer, beginning to blow around as a light blue glow surrounded me. My voice began to echo around, yet my lips never moved. I simply glared at Wolfram with my slit black eyes.

"Wolfram von Beilevelt, you ignored the rules of our duel, and show only your back to everyone in this world. You shower it in ice, and therefore, that shall be your punishment. You shall be encased in ice until you repent for your sins. The sin of hating myself simply because I am a half breed, the sin of endangering the young maid in your reckless act, and the long time sin you've done of hating your brother Conrart simply because he is a half breed such as myself. I shall punish you now" My voice echoed from the sky and suddenly Wolfram was entrapped in ice, being lifted off the ground. He was shaking, looking terrified.

"S-So cold…" he muttered, shivering.

"Impressive, now I see the girl's soul is genuine indeed" Gwendal said, smiling while watching the scene, impressed.

"Let me go! Please!" Wolfram pleaded. I simply stared at the floor, my hair still dancing.

"Wolfram, I order you to change your ways. I can be merciful, but only if you repent" my voice echoed as my glow vanished, my hair returned to normal and I collapsed to the ground in a heap. The ice encasing Wolfram melted instantly and he fell to the ground. The snow changed to rain as I heard voices yelling my name.

"Your Majesty!" Gunter yelled, running up to me with Conrart.

"Kazumi!" Conrart yelled, running behind Gunter. I couldn't hold on any longer and my vision faded to black.

When I awoke, I sat up, immediately startled as Gunter's face appeared in front of mine.

"Thank goodness Your Majesty!" he cried out, relief showing on his face.

"You've been asleep for three whole days, I was terribly worried!" Gunter declared. I stared at him in shock, then looked down sadly.

"What about that girl? Is she alright?" I asked. Gunter smiled.

"Ah, she's one of our maids, Doria, she's fine and she should be able to return to work in a few days." Gunter stated.

"That's a relief…" I sighed, relaxing.

"Gwendal had the foresight to protect her with a magic barrier" Gunter explained. I blinked, looking up at him in shock.

"Gwendal did that?!" I asked, then both Gunter and I looked at Wolfram. He folded his arms over his chest, glaring at me, then huffed to himself, looking away in pride.

"By the way, where is Conrart and Gwendal?" I asked. Gunter looked hesitant to tell me. I wonder why?


	3. I Will Become the Demon Queen!

"Conrart's gone to his favourite human village by the border. He went there with Gwendal, there's been an attack on it, so they went to investigate" Wolfram explained as he and I snuck into the stables late at night. Conrart and Gwendal had left sometime that morning, it was late and they still weren't back, so I was getting worried. I'd managed to beg Wolfram into taking me to where they were.

"Do you require help with riding a horse?" Wolfram asked and I shook my head, sitting up on the horse he offered me, my legs swung to the side.

"What a strange style of riding, is it safe?" Wolfram asked, sitting up on his own horse.

"Yeah, it's called side saddle, we use it in the human world, well, women in skirts do anyway" I explained, getting a shocked expression from Wolfram. Five more men, really beautiful in appearance, similar to Wolfram appeared on horses by us.

"By the way, who're these guys?" I asked, wondering why they looked like some band of young models from back in my world, but dressed up in identical military outfits.

"They're my specially chosen magic elite force. They're extremely powerful in their magic and swords skill" Wolfram explained, leading the way as I rode behind him, following him.

"Wow, I can feel my inferiority complex growing by the second" I muttered to myself, riding after Wolfram, determined not to lose him as we galloped to the village that had been attacked.

"I feel bad… maybe we should've told Gunter where we were going…" I stated, looking back at the castle that was slowly disappearing from view.

"It couldn't be helped! Do you honestly think Gunter would let you be escorted into a battle zone?" Wolfram asked sarcastically. I giggled awkwardly.

"I guess not… but I still feel bad, he'll be worried…" I replied, turning back to follow Wolfram.

We rode until daylight had shone over the land. We stopped on the top of a hill, looking down to see burning village. I gasped, feeling my fear of fire kick in. I froze on the horse, looking at it in horror.

"This is terrible, the situation still isn't under control even though Lord Weller and Gwendal came here yesterday! The fire must be enhanced with magic!" Wolfram stated, then froze suddenly. Deep chuckles of laughter caught my attention. I turned to my right, thankful that I'd put my hair up in a ponytail today and brought my sword with me.

"Looks like we meet again little Lord Brat! And we also meet again, Your Majesty!" stated a deep voice and I realized who it was approaching us on horseback with two other men.

"You're Adelbert! Adelbert von Grantz, right!?" I asked, earning laughter from him.

"I'm so pleased you remember me Your Majesty" he stated, smirking at me. That was when I noticed Wolfram's expression. He looked like he was in pain, and he was being awfully silent. I turned to the rest of his special division, seeing all of them looking like they were in pain.

"What's wrong? Are you guys in pain or something?" I asked, tightening my grip on the reins.

"Your Majesty, I see they're still using you as a scapegoat. Don't worry your pretty little head anymore, I've come to rescue you. Don't you want me to save you from them? They're turning you into a monster, making you attack your own kind. You know you're human, there's nothing more to it, but still they insist on making you do their dirty work. Come along with me, I'll help you get back to the world you belong in" Adelbert suggested, offering his hand to me. I looked at it hesitantly.

"Don't listen to him! Don't let him fool you Kazumi! He's just going to use you for his own needs! He's a traitor to the Demon Kingdom, he can't be trusted!" Wolfram snapped suddenly, sounding like he was in agony. I gasped, looking at Wolfram.

"Does it hurt to talk? Stay silent then, it's alright. I won't let him use me, but I'll go with him anyway. You guys have got to go get help, this area seems to be hurting you, find someone that doesn't use magic" I stated to Wolfram, getting off my horse, walking to him and whacking his heels into his horse, sending all his unit riding away. My horse stood there, waiting to be rode, but I stayed there by Adelbert's side.

"I didn't think you'd actually come with me… you really are a gullible fool" Adelbert stated, and I smirked up at him.

"You didn't think I actually believed you, right? I just didn't want them to get hurt because of me, so I'm gonna hold my own until help arrives" I stated, drawing my sword to protect myself. Adelbert swung his sword, hitting mine with such force I was sent flying back a few steps. I steadied myself, jumping back a few more steps and looked up, gasping as Adelbert had gotten off his horse, stalking up to me, smirking dangerously.

"W-Whoa… You're strong… A lot stronger than I thought" I muttered, quickly holding my sword up to defend myself from his swing. I was blasted back a few more steps. My wrist was hurting from the force of the hits and I was sure I wasn't going to last much longer. Conrart clearly had taken it easy on me during our practice duel if he was able to keep up with Adelbert, and yet I could barely survive a minute or two.

"What's the matter? I thought you said you'd hold your own?" Adelbert taunted, charging at me suddenly, swinging his sword. I gasped, letting out a yelp of surprise, jumping away, running from him. He turned suddenly, swinging his sword at my retreating form, narrowly missing me, clipping a little of my hair. I skidded to a stop, turning sharply to look back at him, gasping as he'd already come at me again. I lifted my sword, holding it horizontally to block his attack. Metal struck metal and I bit my lip to hold back the pain in my wrist. I really wanted to drop the sword due to how strained my wrist was becoming. I'd never faced such a strong opponent.

"You really are pathetic if this is all you can do, though I will admit you have a little skill" Adelbert said, knocking my sword away from me. I gasped, looking back at my flying sword, then turned sharply, gazing up at him in terror as he smirked, lifting the sword up and striking it down at me. I tried to jump back from his attack, but his sword struck my arm, causing me to scream loudly. I jumped away from him, dashing forward and grabbing my sword again. As I turned back to look at Adelbert, now only able to fight with one arm, and saw him walking to me again. This was it, I was really going to die…

"Your Majesty!" I heard a familiar voice yell out. I turned around, a bright smile of relief on my face.

"Conrart!" I yelled back. Adelbert huffed to himself.

"Not him again, this is getting annoying" he snarled, turning and running back to his own horse. Escaping with his two men.

"I found you My Lady!" Conrart stated, stopping his horse in front of me protectively.

"See you again Your Majesty!" Adelbert said, riding away.

"After him men!" Conrart declared, sending his soldiers after Adelbert. I sighed in relief, dropping my sword to the ground and standing up shakily. Conrart got off his horse, suddenly running at me and grabbing me tightly. I suddenly found myself being buried in his chest, wrapped up tightly in his strong arms.

"Thank goodness, I was afraid you wouldn't make it this time… Thank the Great One you are unharmed" Conrart stated, sighing in relief. I blinked in shock, looking up at him.

"Um… I'm actually not unharmed" I muttered. He gasped, looking at me horrified.

"Did he harm you?" Conrart asked, sounding shocked. I nodded, looking down at my now heavily bleeding left arm. Conrart immediately pulled away from the hug, taking out a handkerchief from one of his pockets.

"Take off your jacket My Lady, I'll tie the wound up with this until we can get some first aid" Conrart stated. I did as he asked and Conrart carefully lifted my sleeve up on my shirt till he got past the cut, tying the handkerchief around the cut tightly to stop it from bleeding any more.

"Is it too tight My Lady?" Conrart asked and I shook my head.

"No, and Conrart, you're my brother's god father, so there's no need for the My Lady, Your Highness and Your Majesty, okay? Just call me Kazumi" I stated, making Conrart blink at me in shock.

"Uh, I'll try Kazumi… It will take some getting used to…" Conrart stated. We heard horses approach and I turned around to see Wolfram dismount from his horse.

"Wolfram, it's good to see you. Are you alright now?" I asked, making him glare at me.

"Oh shut up, it's none of your business!" He snarled. I frowned at him.

"Alright then, fine! I won't worry about you then!" I snapped back, refraining a growl.

"He gets what he deserves. He had no place, taking you into the midst of a battlefield" Conrart stated. I looked up at him.

"By the way, how'd you know where to find me?" I asked. Conrart glanced down at me.

"I saw Wolfram riding with his men and he'd told me that he'd left you alone with Adelbert under your orders. I immediately rode to where he said he'd left you, praying I wasn't too late" Conrart explained. I sighed again, feeling my knees shaking.

"Boy am I glad you did get here in time… I was about to be dead meat…" I muttered, feeling my knees give out as I fell into a sitting position on the ground, trying to control my breathing as I stared at the floor for a little.

"Your Highness! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Conrart asked, kneeling to look at me. I swallowed, managing to hold everything back, then turned to smile at him.

"I'm fine, I just think the shock finally got to me a little… I really was about to die… it just dawned on me fully" I reassured him, giggling halfheartedly. Conrart frowned, gently lifting me up so I was standing, being careful not to touch my sore arm.

"Kazumi! Did you get hurt!?" Wolfram exclaimed, rushing to me and looking worried.

"Y-Yeah, it's only a small cut though, I managed to dodge most of the blow" I stated, smiling at him reassuringly. He sighed in relief.

"Anyway, we should go see Gwendal, all he knows is that I took off suddenly without giving word to him. I doubt he can handle the situation much longer on his own" Conrart suggested. I nodded, walking to my horse and hoisting myself up, waiting for them to get ready.

"Your Majesty, as soon as you start feeling odd, like dizzy or anything, let me know immediately" Conrart urged, trotting ahead as Wolfram and I followed after him.

After we made it to the edge of the city, we found the First Aid Camp. Conrart and Wolfram left to go help Gwendal with the town while I walked in to get my arm treated. When I stepped in I heard children crying, and adults of both genders letting out pained noises. It was terrible seeing just how many people had been injured.

"Please bear with me, I'll be done soon, just stay still" pleaded a female voice. I stepped towards a woman with long dark green hair in a white military uniform. I assume white was the healing uniform or something.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked and she finished bandaging a man's leg. She turned to look at me and I saw her eyes were equally just as green.

"Oh, Your Majesty, what seems to be the trouble!? Oh my! You're injured! How on Earth did that happen!?" she exclaimed, immediately unwrapping the handkerchief and looking at the wound. Her attention then shifted to the handkerchief.

"This is Lord Weller's, isn't it?" she asked. I blinked in shock, raising a brow.

"Y-Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked and she gasped, placing the handkerchief down and began to stop the bleeding on my arm.

"I'm quite familiar with Lord Weller, I guess you could call us friends. I asked because Conrart is kind, and helps nearly everyone, but that handkerchief is something he'd only lend to someone very dear to him. Clearly you must mean a lot to him Your Highness" she explained. I blinked, trying to register what she'd just said.

"You think I mean something dear to Conrart?" I asked and she giggled.

"I can tell just by this handkerchief that you mean almost as much to him as Julia did" she replied. I blinked in confusion, Julia?

"Anyway, what's your name? There's no need to be so formal with me, just call me Kazumi" I asked. The lady smiled gently, bandaging my arm, then gave me a white shirt. I assume it was a spare one of hers.

"Lady Kazumi, thank you for asking, I'm Gisella. It's an honour to meet you" Gisella stated, bowing her head slightly. She led me to a separate area and helped me remove my now bloody shirt and put on the new shirt. She fastened the sleeve on the left arm so it was above the bandage, not covering it.

"Thank you Gisella. Now, do any of your patients require antiseptic on their wounds?" I asked, picking up a sponge and a bottle of antiseptic.

"Thank you Your Majesty, but I can take care of it by myself" Gisella stated. I shook my head.

"You helped me, now I wanna help. Let me, please?" I asked, walking to the man she'd just bandaged up.

"Keep that thing away from me! You're a demon, from the Demon Tribe, my sworn enemy!" the man yelled, making me smile sadly at him.

"You're human, aren't you? Don't worry, I won't hurt you, I was just going to put on some antiseptic, otherwise your wound will get infected" I reassured the man, but this just set him off.

"You're a liar!" he yelled and I flinched, growling.

"Don't call me a liar! After all, you guys are the ones that attacked us! The people who lived in this village were humans just like you, and despite that, you attacked them!" I snapped back at him.

"They're not like us. They sided with the Demon Tribe, they're just not human I tell you, not human!" he declared at me. I stood there, frozen in confusion. Gisella sadly took the bottles off me.

"Like I said, I'll be fine by myself" she stated, letting me excuse myself from the tent. I walked out to the hill, seeing Conrart standing on the hill and Wolfram sitting on his horse, watching the devastation on the village. I walked and sat nearby where Conrart was standing, sighing sadly.

"Humans fighting humans all because one set of humans sided themselves with the demons. It's just like the wars back on our world… like between the Nazis and the Jews… This sort of thing has got to stop…" I whispered to myself, looking at the burning village sadly.

"I'm sorry you had to see this My Lady" Conrart stated sadly. I shook my head, smiling sadly at him.

"No, I'm glad I came out here. As painful as it is to see a lovely village up in flames, I needed to see it, to know what sort of things can happen" I answered, earning a slight smile from him. Suddenly Gwendal came riding up with two soldiers leading a village man who was handcuffed, up to us.

"This man just confessed to attacking the village, he also confessed that it was Adelbert that instigated their actions. Claimed they were in a famine, and decided to attack the demon loving humans" Gwendal stated as the soldiers commanded the prisoner to keep moving forward.

"By the way, is she participating or is she just observing?" Gwendal asked. I raised a brow at him.

"Will her Majesty put out this raging fire with her very powerful water magic like she used against Wolfram?" Gwendal asked, smirking at me.

"Huh? Powerful water magic? What on earth are you talking about?" I asked, really confused.

"Brother, it seems she has no memory of what happened. It was merely a miracle that occurred while she was in a state of unconsciousness" Wolfram stated and Gwendal glared at me.

"Miracle? What kind of miracle can I perform? I can't even land myself a date in the human world!" I exclaimed, puzzled by the fact they thought I'd performed a miracle.

"Hmpf! If you have no interest in helping, then stay out of it!" Gwendal snarled. I growled back at him.

"Whatever you big jerk!" I snapped back, glaring as he led the soldier to the villagers from the burnt village.

"This is the man that set fire to your village, feel free to kill him or whatever" Gwendal stated. I gasped, feeling my blood freeze.

"Wait! Stop! You can't do this!" I yelled, jumping to my feet and running in front of the villagers, stopping them.

"You can't do this Gwendal! Sure, he sounds like a really bad guy, but what good is executing him gonna do!? It's the easy way out! He needs to do time for his crimes!" I yelled, but I was ignored as Wolfram began talking to Gwendal.

"Brother, could this attack be used as a reason to declare war on the humans?" Wolfram asked and Gwendal began stating about how it would be possible, but difficult.

"Hey! Listen to me! Are you even paying attention!? LISTEN TO ME!" I bellowed as loudly as I could, catching everyone's attention. I guess all those voice lessons for singing practice came in handy after all.

"Humans in my world have wars like this too, fighting each other, but the main difference between us and you guys is we also try and find peace as quickly as possible! But what about you guys!? You go looking to start a war with smallest excuse!" I snarled, earning a growl from Gwendal.

"Stay out of it you foreigner! I'm responsible for protecting the Great Demon Kingdom! What do you know!? You don't even intend on being our Queen, and you dare criticize us!?" Gwendal snapped, making me growl dangerously at him.

"If that's so… then I'm changing the way things are done around here! I WILL become the Demon Queen!" I declared, earning a small from Conrart, but a glare of hatred from Gwendal and Wolfram. As everyone was busy watching me, the prisoner suddenly broke free of the soldiers, charging at me and knocking me down. He grabbed the collar of my jacket tightly, almost making it impossible to breath.

"Nobody move! Or your precious little Demon Queen's going to get hurt! I heard her say it herself! Now bring us a horse and safe passage!" declared the man, holding the collar dangerously tight, making me wince from being choked.

"No!" Conrart protested, but Gwendal dismounted, leading his stallion to us.

"Please, don't do it Gwendal!" Conrart pleaded, but the man hoisted me up roughly, making me wince as he grabbed my bandaged arm. He forced me up on the horse, and just as he was about to get on a young child burst out the bushes, grabbing the man's ankle and tackling him down. The horse suddenly reared and went flying into the air. I let out a scream as I went flying, landing in someone's arms. I looked up to see Gwendal was my savior.

"Gwendal? How…?"I asked and he smiled at me, the first genuine smile I'd ever seen on him.

"I knew that clumsy oaf could never ride my stallion. Are you hurt?" Gwendal asked and I shook my head. At least, I don't think I was injured…

"Is he alright!? Hey kid, get up!" Wolfram asked, catching my attention as I gasped, jumping out of Gwendal's arms and running to the small boy that had saved my life. I rushed to him, kneeling by him and placing my hand gently on his cheek.

"Hey, it's time to get up… can you hear me?" I whispered as the boy slowly stirred into consciousness.

"It looks like he hit the ground hard…" Conrart stated, and I looked up at him.

"Call the medics! I know, call for Gisella!" I stated, turning my attention back to the kid.

"Your Majesty…" he stated hoarsely. I felt my heart break at weak he sounded.

"I'm right here, and there's no need to call me Your Majesty… you saved my life, just call me Kazumi, okay?" I whispered to the boy, gently patting his cheek and forehead. He smiled gently, sighing.

"But, you're going to be our Queen aren't you? And you're going to protect us from everything that will harm us, won't you?" he asked. I sniffed, feeling the tears beginning to fall down my face. I smiled gently, lifting the boy's head onto my lap as I patted his hair.

"I promise little man, I'll protect you and the Great Demon Kingdom, okay?" I replied, earning a smile from the boy.

"And once you've claimed the throne, will you teach us how to dance the many different styles of your world, planet Earth?" asked the boy. I blinked at him curiously.

"Mr Conrart teaches us kids ballroom dance. It's fun, I really like dancing. I'd like if you someday taught me this ballet that Mr Conrart told me about" the boy explained. I couldn't resist smiling, feeling the tears flowing down my face. My body began to glow suddenly, my hair flying around in the air as the clouds darkened. Rain began plummeting from the sky, putting out the fire. As I sat there, cradling the boy and letting the tears fall, Gisella rushed up to us and began taking care of the boy. Everyone in the area remained silent.

It seemed like it'd taken forever, but the day had finally arrived, the day of my coronation. I stood there in my school uniform with lovely shoulder shawl with intricate gold designing on it. Conrart and Gunter stood on either side of me and Lady Celly stood beside the fountain of water. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and began slowly walking up the stairs to Lady Celly. The aristocrats all sat near the front, watching along with all the guests. Gwendal and Wolfram stood nearby, watching from their posts.

I stepped up carefully, stopping by Lady Celly. I was tense and nervous.

"There's really no need to be so nervous my dear, all you need to do is stick your hand in the water until you hear the voice of the Great One, see, isn't that easy?" Lady Celly asked. I nodded, stepping towards the water and stuck my hand in, relaxing. The cool water felt familiar somehow and I pondered over my situation. Suddenly I felt a tug at my sleeve and I had to struggle against the pull.

"What the!? Something's grabbing my arm! It won't let me go! Conrart! Help me!" I yelled, trying to pull away from the grip. Everyone had become horrified, even Lady Celly was frozen to the spot in horror. Gunter and Conrart rushed up to my aid and began trying to pull me away, but it was no use. I was suddenly sucked in. All Gunter had been able to grab was the shawl I'd been wearing.

"Your Majesty!" Conrart yelled as I disappeared without a trace of ever having been there in the first place.

When I awoke, I felt completely drenched.

"Kazumi! Kazumi!" stated a female voice. I slowly stirred to consciousness, seeing my good friend Hisako shaking my shoulders. I was out the fountain and she looked worried. She had shoulder length medium brown hair and cobalt blue eyes with pale skin. She was a foreigner and wasn't well liked by most people, but I enjoyed her company, despite her going to a school for geniuses. She was wearing her school's uniform.

"Hisako?" I asked. She sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness… I thought for a second there I was going to have to call an ambulance… What were you doing sleeping in the fountain water anyway?" she asked and I gave her a puzzled look. Was it all a dream? No… I could still feel the slight pain in my arm from the cut I'd received from Adelbert.

"Um… I'm not sure… I guess I must've been even more tired than I thought…" I muttered. Hisako suddenly began giggling to herself.

"Kazumi… Aren't you late for something?" she asked and I frowned, trying to remember what day it was. I gasped, feeling dread was over me.

"OH CRAP! I'M LATE FOR PREP SCHOOL!" I yelled loudly, getting up, getting my school bag and running out the park, leaving Hisako behind, despite being absolutely soaked. Hisako stood, adjusting her glasses as the light hit it, hiding her eyes.

"Things are getting underway, eh Shinou?" she asked to herself, chuckling.


	4. What is next! The Ultimate Weapon!

It was now Monday. There was a pupil free day, so I had ballet practice for the entire day. I had my leotard on and put some casual clothes on over the top. I exited my room to see Yuri already eating his breakfast hungrily. He had baseball that day. He'd finally decided to play baseball again after another stubborn argument between the two of us.

"Kazumi! My precious little girl! You have ballet today, right? Any idea what's going on?" my mother, Miko Shibuya asked as soon as I sat down and she put the food in front of me. I began eating, then stopped, clearing my mother.

"We're trying out point shoes today. After 4 years of practicing and building up strength we're finally ready to go onto point" I explained. Miko squealed happily.

"Make sure to show me when you get back tonight! I can't wait to see my baby go onto point!" Miko exclaimed, swooning in happiness. I chuckled, seeing Yuri finish eating. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, Shibuya! It's Ken Murata! I'm here to pick up my captain! And Hisako's also here to pick up Kazumi!" yelled a familiar voice. Murata was Yuri's buddy from Middle School, they got along decently. Yuri rushed out quickly, wishing me luck, then disappeared. Hisako let herself in, smiling at me.

"What're you doing here Hisako? You don't do ballet…" I asked and Hisako giggled, flashing me one of her brilliant smiles.

"I'm here to take you to ballet practice, silly! I wanted to spend some time with my best buddy!" she explained. I chuckled then saw my mother stalk on her.

"Hisako dear! I made you the most adorable dress! Want to try it on!?" Miko asked and Hisako looked shocked for a second, but she quickly walked off with my mother, or more dragged. Suddenly her screams echoed the house as she ran out the door, shrugging off the dress to the ground, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out the house quickly.

As we ran down the street, avoiding my mother like the plague, we passed the school. Eventually we got to the building used for ballet. I sighed, trying to catch my breath.

"Well, this is where I leave you! Try not to go swimming again" Hisako said, waving goodbye to me. She then walked off as I entered the building. I walked in, taking off my casual clothes and entered the main hall. Everyone else had gathered and we were about to start getting our point shoes. I ran to the teacher and the other students, standing in line as I waited for my turn.

"Hey Shibuya! You looking forward to going on point?" asked a good ballet friend. Natsuki had been doing ballet with me for the last 4 years. We were both excited to finally go on point.

"Hell yeah! But it's gonna be painful! There will be blood, sweat and tears!" I stated and Natsuki nodded at me determinedly.

"Totally worth it!" she exclaimed. Finally it was my turn and I sat down, letting the lady that had come around fit the shoes to my feet. Once I had my shoes and had been taught how to put them on, I skipped off happily to where Natsuki stood with hers. We put ours on quickly, standing up. They already felt tight and we giggled at each other happily.

Once everyone had their toe shoes, our teacher walked around the room, smiling at us.

"I'm sure all of you are excited, and you have every reason to be. But now is not the time to let your happiness get in the way of your concentration. This will be painful! Many of you will sprain your ankles, and many of you will probably get bloody feet. But in the end it is worth it. Now, holding the bar, up on point!" directed the teacher. We held the bar, standing up on the very point of our shoes. The pain was agonizing. I grit my teeth, wincing as all of us struggled to keep our balance, even though we were holding the bar.

"This will be difficult, many of you will fall, but don't let it discourage you!" announced the teacher as many students fell, tumbling to the ground. I was determined not to fall. I grit my teeth, hoisting myself up onto the very point, and held my breath. My grip on the bar was tight and I was shaking a little.

"Very good Shibuya! It's almost like you were made to go on point! Your mother will be most pleased" complimented the teacher. I forgot about my pain for a minute as a smile burst on my face. Being complimented by the teacher was one of the best things a ballet student could ask for, especially this teacher. It wasn't that she wasn't nice, she was incredibly nice, but strict, and compliments were rare. She sympathized, but she rarely complimented the students. I remembered to breathe again at that point and let go of the bar, keeping my balance on the point.

"If you begin to sway Shibuya, grab the bar immediately" instructed the teacher. I nodded, determined. I was going to show mum that I could go on point, I was going to show my brothers as well! I stayed up on point and eventually my swaying and shaking stopped.

For most of the day we practiced on point, but eventually we went back to normal shoes, practicing our techniques. We did jumps, twirls, went up on point, everything. We even did some lifts with the male students. Eventually it was our second break of the day. We were moving back onto point shoes again and were going to try some techniques on point. During this break we were allowed to have a bath in the bathrooms of the building so we didn't stink too much.

I sighed, relaxing in the tub. My ballet clothes were in my bag and the water felt so nice on my sore feet. I sighed again, burying my face in the water, then emerged. The hot water felt so nice… The other female students were busy in the change rooms. Suddenly a vortex appeared in the water. I gasped, feeling myself being dragged down and through, disappearing as if I'd never been in the bath.

I screamed, being flushed through the vortex of water. When it finally stopped, I found myself in a large pool of warm water.

"Back here again, huh?" I asked, standing up. It was steamy and I couldn't see anything clearly, but the floor felt like concrete, so I know I was in a bath of some sorts, not a hot spring. I could see some figures in the distance. They look like they had long hair.

"Um, excuse me? Am I back in the Demon Kingdom?" I asked. The figures looked at me. I assume they were females with how long their hair was.

"It's Her Majesty! She's back!" exclaimed the figures and I felt my stomach drop. They were men. I gasped, seeing them run at me. I immediately squatted so I was hiding everything of mine that I didn't want to show others, and let out a high pitched scream. The men suddenly began hugging me, claiming I was adorable.

"Get off! Get off! I'm a girl! This isn't right! Someone! Help me!" I screamed out as they began pulling me up into a standing position. This was getting too awkward and I just wanted to go curl up in a hole.

"Your Highness! I'm coming! I am Lord Gunter von Chryst! I demand you release Her Majesty immediately!" Gunter declared, standing at the edge of the bath.

"Hey! Don't touch there!" I snapped as they stopped, turning to look at Gunter.

"You're Lord Gunter? You're the most handsome thing I've ever seen! I wanna give you a hug!" the men flirted and rushed up to Gunter, letting me fall and hide back in the water. They tackled Gunter down and began molesting the poor guy. I was shaking from the trauma of that incident.

"Your Highness?" asked a familiar voice from behind me and I gasped, turning around to see Conrart. He was standing in the water behind me, still clothed, thank god, and was smiling at me in concern. I immediately wrapped my arms around myself to try and hide, then felt a large towel being placed around my shoulders. I looked up at him and smiled slightly, earning a relieved smile from him. He helped me stand and I wrapped the towel around myself properly.

"What about Gunter?" I asked and Conrart chuckled, watching as they continued molesting poor Gunter.

"It was a noble sacrifice, he'd be honoured to do something like this if it meant saving Your Highness" Conrart explained and I frowned at him.

"I have a name Conrart…" I reminded him and he gave me apologetic smile.

"Sorry Kazumi" he apologized, chuckling sheepishly. He led me away and out the bath. I sighed in relief, finally being out the water. Conrart handed me a pile of black clothing, so I quickly scampered somewhere, changing and came back to him. It was a copy of my school uniform that he'd given me. As I walked back to him he smiled.

"It looks good, fits just right, like your school uniform" he stated. I giggled, straightening the skirt a little.

"The skirt's a little shorter than I'd like, but it's still good all in all… I'm still wearing that god forsaken underwear though…" I muttered, earning a chuckle from Conrart.

"Your Majesty… Was I of… any use?" Gunter asked, approaching us, looking really messed up. I giggled, seeing how saturated he was.

"Thank you Gunter… I appreciate it" I thanked him, smiling brightly at him. Gunter sighed in relief, looking happy.

"Gunter studied your uniform the last time you were here and had his tailors make some copies so if you got sent here without yours, you could wear one of your copies" Conrart explained.

"Thanks for all the trouble Gunter! Hm, this looks different… this isn't Covenant Castle, is it?" I asked. Gunter chuckled in delight.

"You truly are smart Your Majesty! You never cease to amaze me!" Gunter declared. I raised a brow, finding him still to be a little odd.

"It's Voltaire Castle in the Eastern corner of the Great Demon Kingdom" Conrart explained. Voltaire… that name sounds familiar.

"Voltaire? This means this is Gwendal's castle!?" I asked and Conrart nodded in reply. I was then led to a room with a huge stack of papers on the table.

"I'm assuming that's paperwork?" I asked, walking to the table and sitting down. Gunter nodded.

"Do I dare ask what's written on them? I don't know how to read the language, so can you tell me what they say?" I asked, sitting down.

"They're forms about tax collection, laws on the lands you control, things like that" Gunter explained. I nodded, finding that reasonable and began signing the papers.

"I'm guessing because I came back means that there wasn't a mix up between my brother and me?" I asked, sighing.

"Apparently not, you really are our Queen" Conrart stated, standing against the wall and smiling at me. My back was turned on him as I began signing the paperwork.

"You're very intelligent Your Highness, so I have no doubt that you will learn how to read and write our language soon. But first these papers need to be signed" Gunter stated. I sighed, closing my eyes for a second.

"Are you even sure I'm cut out for this stuff? I mean, I'm more a doing sort of person, not sitting on a chair signing papers all day… I prefer being out in the fresh air" I asked. Conrart chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make an excellent Queen one day, but right now let Gunter focus on teaching you the basics" Conrart said, trying to make me feel better.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I may need to ask you to make an important decision right away. You may need to sign papers declaring war soon…" Gunter explained. The moment the word war reached my ears I gasped, my eyes widening as I stood, slamming my hands on the table.

"No! I will never sign papers declaring war! Never! I decided that when I became your Queen!" I yelled, making Gunter look shocked. Even Conrart looked taken aback.

"But what if they attack us first Your Highness? Should we simply just give in to them?" Gunter asked.

"I will never declare war, never! I thought I made myself clear!? We will find other methods of avoiding war, like talking, peace treaties, that kind of stuff!" I declared, stopping when the door suddenly opened, revealing Gwendal.

"Gwendal, please shed some light on the subject. Who exactly is our enemy and what are they doing?" I asked, hesitant for his answer seen as Gunter wasn't explaining things properly.

"It's the humans. They're spending lots of money hiring people with esoteric skills so they can fight against our Demon Tribe. And I don't recall giving my permission for this girl to make herself comfortable in my castle!" Gwendal snapped as Wolfram suddenly burst into the room, running to me.

"Hey Kazumi! You just disappeared in the middle of your coronation ceremony, what's that all about!?" Wolfram asked, running straight up to me. I jumped back a step to avoid him and instantly regretted it. A searing pain shot up my leg as I winced, using the table to hold myself up.

"Your Majesty?" Conrart asked, looking worried.

"I-It's nothing… My feet are just really sore… I was doing ballet before I came here, for most of the day, and we were using point shoes for the first time" I explained, forcing myself to sit before I fell. Gwendal walked forward, spreading out a map over the table as him and Gunter began talking.

"It's Cavalcade" Gwendal stated, making Gunter look shocked.

"Cavalcade?! I don't believe it!" Gunter asked, looking horrified. Gwendal then explained how the money was paid by Cavalcade for the esoteric skill handlers.

"What's the matter? You don't trust my information network?" Gwendal asked, and Gunter looked down sadly.

"If that's what you say then I have no choice but to believe it…" Gunter commented. Conrart glared dangerously at them.

"Break it up gentlemen! Shouldn't you be reporting this to Her Highness first!?" Conrart asked darkly.

"You're right, please forgive me!" Gunter apologized. Gwendal frowned.

"I believe children like her should mind their own business!" Gwendal commented, making me growl, standing up and forgetting about the pain in my feet and legs. I slammed my hands on the table again.

"It seems your business is to push us into battle, but I'm not letting us go to war!" I declared, glaring dangerously at him.

"Well then, what do you want to do, Your Majesty?" Gwendal asked sarcastically.

"I want to talk first! There could be some kind of misunderstanding. And don't tell me you've already offered to talk, with your attitude who'd want to talk to you!?" I replied, making Conrart chuckle a little. Gwendal began growling.

"Conrart! Her Majesty seems to be cranky, maybe she needs a little nap!" Gwendal snarled, imitating some kind of knitting technique with his hands, and then turned and left the room. I blinked in shock, then ran around the desk, running after Gwendal.

"Wait a minute! I'm not finished yet!" I snapped, running after him as he ignored me, walking to the door. Wolfram and Gunter had grabbed me suddenly, trying to hold me back. Gwendal had suddenly stopped as well as we all saw a lady with long red hair and cobalt blue eyes. Everyone was frozen in shock for some reason.

"Hey Gwendal! I just invented a new magical device! Want to help me test it out?" she exclaimed, looking so excited. Everyone just remained frozen.

"Well don't just stand there, if you're going to play tag, do it outside, you'll stir up dust in here" she stated, thinking we were playing a game. Suddenly we found ourselves in a different room and she was standing in front of the table we were sitting at. Gwendal had cleared off quickly, so it was just Conrart, Gunter, Wolfram and myself.

"It's been a while Your Majesty. I believe the last time was at your coronation ceremony, however I was seated at the far end of the ten aristocrats, so I didn't get a proper chance to introduce myself. I am Lady Anissina von Karbelneikolf" said the red haired lady. I smiled, nodding to her.

"I understand your situation. You don't want to go to war because of the stupid pride of men, right? I have just what you need, a way to get them to never set foot on our land!" Anissina declared. I smiled brightly.

"Really!? Can you show me!?" I asked, sounding excited.

"Kazumi! No! Don't do it!" Wolfram interjected. I blinked at him curiously.

"Why not Wolfram?" I asked, raising a brow and tilting my head slightly.

"Because, hardly any of these inventions work properly! Why do you think Gwendal clears out as soon as he hears her voice!?" Wolfram replied. I guess that made sense…

"I would be honoured to show you my inventions Your Majesty!" Anissina declared, suddenly appearing with what looked like a giant golden fan. I stared up at the fan, wondering if it actually was made with gold, it looked shiny enough.

"Now, Your Majesty? Would you like to try and power the machine? With your magic ability you'd surely be able to create a huge gust of wind!" Anissina asked as she explained that the fan would prevent people, weapons and ships from approaching. I raised a brow, but nodded, standing and walking to the machine, much to Wolfram's objection.

"So I just turn this handle?" I asked, grabbing the handle with both my hands. Anissina nodded. I inhaled deeply, gripping it tightly and began pushing on the handle. It took a few seconds before it began to move, and it was incredibly hard to push. I managed to turn it a couple times before I leaned on the handle, panting heavily.

"What the heck… you need stamina for this, not magic…" I muttered between my heavy pants.

"Hm… maybe it needs male magic…" Anissina pondered and I glanced up at her.

"There's a difference?" I asked, standing shakily and walking back to my seat, falling into it heavily.

"Wow… do that a couple times a day, every day, and I'd lose weight in no time…" I muttered. Conrart chuckled to himself.

"Your Majesty, there is no need for you to lose weight, you're already the perfect, healthy weight! There's not a single flaw with you!" Gunter objected. I giggled.

"I know, I was just stating that if I wanted to, or if anyone else wanted to, that would probably do the trick" I explained, shutting Gunter up quickly.

Eventually after many other failure inventions, I found myself alone in a room with Conrart. I sighed, letting my head lay on the desk.

"Finally finished all that godforsaken paper… but I'm still no closer to preventing this war… Can I really do this Conrart?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled gently at me.

"I know you can. I believe in you and respect you. If anyone can lead the Great Demon Kingdom to a new day and age without war it's you" Conrart stated, encouraging me. I smiled at him.

"Thanks… that helps a lot. You know, you're right! I have good people working around me, I should ask for their opinion, otherwise I'm not doing my job correctly!" I stated, standing and turned to run to Gwendal's office, but quickly began limping.

"Ow, my feet again… Those point shoes really took their toll…" I muttered as Conrart steadied me. He gave me a concerned look.

"Let me see your feet Your Highness… It looks like you might've done more damage than you thought" Conrart asked, leading me to the seat. I sat down and he kneeled by my feet. I took off my shoe and slid off my knee high sock. I felt my face flush instantly, god this was so embarrassing. And he was being ever so gentle with my foot it almost tickled. He was holding my foot ever so carefully, like I might break with the slightest rough touch. He studied my foot, then did the same with my other foot. He frowned.

"Your feet have blisters all over them… and a couple have begun to bleed because you haven't taken good care of them… Is this what ballet does to your feet? Why do you put up with it?" Conrart asked, holding my foot gently.

"Um… no, normally not… today was just special because we went on point shoes, professional shoes, and they hurt a lot when you first start out. It's standing on the very point, top bit of your foot. Normally we just stand on our tiptoes when we start ballet, but as we get better, we go on point. The point shoes have a small block of wood in them to stand us up steady, but it also causes a lot of toe injuries…" I explained. Conrart gave me a grave look.

"Anyway, I can't let you walk around on your feet when they're like this…" Conrart stated, picking me up in his arms. I froze, letting out a yell of surprise, more a yelp actually, and blushed furiously.

"P-Put me down!" I demanded. Conrart chuckled, giving me an amused look.

"I can't Your Majesty! That would be against the rules if I let you walk around while injured, despite what orders you give me" he teased back. I frowned, glaring at him while blushing.

"Put me down now! And what have I told you!? Kazumi! Ka-Zu-Mi! Not Your Highness!" I ordered, but Conrart simply chuckled, walking down the hall with me in his arms. I growled, smacking him lightly on the head. This just made him laugh more. Oh, he was so dead!

When we entered Gwendal's office, Gunter, Gwendal and Wolfram looked at us in shock. I hid my face in my hands, my face flushed pure red.

"How did this happen?" Wolfram asked when Gunter gasped in horror.

"Your Majesty! Your feet!" Gunter exclaimed, rushing over to us.

"I told him I was fine… but he didn't believe me… You've made your point Conrart! Put me down now!" I demanded and Conrart smirked.

"As you wish" he stated, lowering me to me feet but the moment my feet made contact with the floor I gasped, holding in a cry of pain. It felt like I was going to pass out right then and there, but Conrart's tight grip on my arms kept me up.

"I'm fine… Gwendal, I would like your opinion on what to do to avoid war!" I asked. Gwendal continued writing with his quill and I was about to speak further when Conrart stopped me, smiling and shaking his head.

"I might have a plan…" Gwendal stated, stopping his writing.

"It involves going to find the legendary Demon Sword Morgif… You see, we need to make the humans no longer interested in messing with us… and the only way to do that is to make ourselves strong enough that they won't dare try to mess with us" Gwendal explained. I nodded.

"Alright. A Demon Sword called Morgif… Where about is it?" I asked and Gunter cleared his throat.

"We've located the sword… but Your Majesty can not go! I won't allow it!" Gunter declared. I frowned at him.

"You're going to have to, only Her Majesty can retrieve and use it…" Conrart interjected. Gunter frowned further.

"I said no!" he stated. I growled.

"Well I say yes! I'm going and that's that! I need to be able to do this much at least, otherwise I can't expect others to follow me" I stated, smiling at them all.

"Oh for the hell of it… Just let her go! Conrart and I will accompany her… That should please you, right Gunter?" Wolfram stated and Gunter sighed.

"Alright… Fine…" he muttered. Well, adventure here we come!


	5. The Perfect Act

Chapter 5

"Oh, I simply can't take all this worrying about Her Majesty! I should've gone with them!" Gunter exclaimed, suddenly knocking a vase over and smashing it. Gunter cried out in shock, exclaiming it was a bad omen. As he backed away, shaking fitfully, he knocked over another vase, smashing it.

"Oh no, that's a very bad omen!" Gunter exclaimed. Gwendal growled, entering the room.

"What's all this commotion about Gunter? You trying to destroy my castle?" Gwendal asked as Gunter suddenly grabbed his face with his hand, stopping Gwendal in his tracks.

"You have three new wrinkles on your brow… bad omen!" Gunter exclaimed, clutching the sides of his own head and rampaging elsewhere in the castle. Gwendal growled, refraining an outburst, then stormed away.

"Just stop destroying my castle!" Gwendal exclaimed, exiting the room.

Meanwhile on the boat, Wolfram lay on the bed, looking terribly sick.

"Alright, are you ready?" Conrart asked. I inhaled sharply.

"I… I think so... just… d-don't let it hurt… please…" I pleaded. Conrart chuckled.

"Just leave it all to me… One, two, three" Conrart replied as Wolfram's head shot up, looking at us in shock. Conrart backed away from me, smiling proudly as I blinked madly, shaking my head.

"Alright, the contacts are in. you look 100% human now Your Majesty" Conrart declared. I kept blinking.

"Feels like pebbles in my eyes…" I muttered, trying to resist the urge to rub my eyes. Wolfram calmed down, looking down.

"Still sea sick Wolfram? Worse than last night?" I asked. Wolfram made a strained groaning noise.

"I'm not sure…" he muttered, laying back down on his stomach.

"We should go get some breakfast now Kazumi" Conrart suggested as I stood to follow him. I was in some strange, long, dark blue dress worn by wealthy human women. My hair had been dyed a dirt red brown and I had dark brown contacts in my eyes. Conrart was dressed up in similar clothing so it looked like we were fiancés. That was our story on the boat, Conrart was a wealthy man and I was his fiancé of six months.

"Don't mention food in front of me… I'm too sick to eat" Wolfram muttered. I felt my heart break a little.

"You should try to eat something, otherwise when you be sick it'll be more painful… maybe yoghurt?" I suggested, but that just made Wolfram heave up in the bowl he had near his bed. I sighed, walking out after Conrart. When we exited, Conrart made me link arms with him as a tall man exited his room with a little girl pulling at his hand. I smiled warmly.

"Good morning sir, pleasant day is it not?" I asked, hugging Conrart's arm tightly. I swear, if I survived this boat trip I was going to burn these memories… too damn embarrassing. The man noticed us as he approached, tipping his head.

"And a good day to you My Lady. I am Mr. Heathcrife, and this is my daughter Beatrice. It's an honour to meet you two" the man replied, lifting his hat and all his hair came off as well, revealing a bald head. I gasped, looking shocked.

"Uh… Y-Your hair just…" I stuttered and Conrart chuckled.

"You must forgive her. My fiancé Alyssa is not used to the Cavalcade style of greeting" Conrart apologized, chuckling. Mr. Heathcrife chuckled, placing his hat and hair back on his head.

"I am Rodney Halvhac and this is my lovely fiancé Alyssa. We're due to be married in a month so I was taking her out for a cruise before we begun starting a family" Conrart lied. I blinked up at him, my face flushing insanely. Beatrice giggled.

"You two are so in love, I can tell" Beatrice stated, making both Conrart and myself blush madly. Mr. Heathcrife chuckled at our reactions as well.

"I ought to throw you overboard!" yelled a sudden voice from up on deck. I let go of Conrart's arm immediately, turning and running up to the source of the voice. Conrart turned to look at my retreating figure.

"No Ka-Alyssa!" Conrart yelled, quickly correcting himself as he ran after me. I rushed up on deck to see a Captain of the ship punch a boy about my age into the wall. I gasped, growling.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!? Can't you find a better way to discipline your pupils!?" I yelled. The man growled back at me.

"Shut up and- oh, I'm so sorry, I thought you were a member of the crew. I apologies My Lady, but this boy made a foolish mistake" the man quickly stated as I glared at him.

"Even so! That's no reason to slug him!" I snarled back as Conrart suddenly stepped in front, walking to the man.

"It's an eyesore! My fiancé is offended! She hates violence of all kinds, so take this elsewhere!" Conrart declared, sneaking some coins into his hand. The man smiled, apologizing to me as he quickly went back to work. The boy stood, bowing to Conrart then myself, then ran off quickly. I sighed sadly, turning and walking to the railing of the ship. I grabbed the railing, leaning against it as I watched the sea.

"So it comes down to money every time…" I whispered as Conrart stood beside me, smiling down at me.

"Not everyone can be swayed with money, but that man can…" Conrart reasoned, patting my shoulder gently. I kept looking out at the ocean sadly.

"Is something wrong?" Conrart asked. I shook my head in response, sighing again. It was just too sad, the way this world worked. I hung my head, sighing loudly again.

"Come on, don't look so down… We're on a really nice boat, the view is great, and there's dancing tonight, so try to smile, okay?" Conrart pleaded, gently patting my back. I stepped back from the railing, raising my head back to normal, but I still looked down.

"You said you sing, correct? Can you sing me a song? Would that cheer you up a little?" Conrart suggested. I gave a faint smile, nodding. I took a deep breath, then began singing 'Frozen' by Within Temptation. Conrart smiled brightly until I'd finished singing, then I took a deep breath.

"Wonderful" Conrart said, still smiling. I giggled, smiling back at him. I felt a bit better now, Conrart had known just what would cheer me up, as usual.

When the dance came around that night, I'd been changed into a beautiful dress. It had a flower petal design to it, bright pink in colour with dark purple ribbons. I wore a bright pink head band and my hair had been waved. Wolfram had applied some light, pink make-up on my face and when I looked in the mirror I barely recognized myself. I looked like a completely different person.

Conrart suddenly knocked on the door, entering in a light blue noble suit with gold trimming and epaulettes and dark blue sashes. He instantly froze when he walked in, having to do a double take.

"I dressed her up rather well, wouldn't you agree Lord Weller?" Wolfram boasted. Conrart just stood there in shock, before shaking his head to snap some sense into himself.

"You outdid yourself Wolfram, I barely recognized her…" Conrart replied, earning a large smirk from Wolfram. I felt my face flush darkly, making the pink make-up Wolfram had put on become invisible. Conrart chuckled, stepping forward and offering his arm.

"Shall we Dear?" he teased. I pouted slightly, hitting his shoulder, but took his arm, being walked up to the deck where the party was being held. When we got there, I had to refrain from running back down to our room. The floor was littered in food scraps and I could see people eating from the feast, then tossing the remains to the ground. I grit my teeth, glancing up at Conrart to see he looked as equally disgusted. But he pushed it aside, leading us down among the people, then released his arms from me, offering his hand in a slight bow.

"May I have this dance?" he asked. I giggled, offering him my own hand. He took mine in his, then placed his other hand on my waist. I placed my other hand on his arm below the epaulette, then we began dancing to the music that was playing faintly in the background. I stumbled a little, my face flushed.

"Sorry… I've never danced ballroom dance before… I can dance any other type of dance though" I whispered to him. He merely chuckled, his grip on my hand and waist tightening.

"It's alright, let me lead you. I can teach you" he offered, looking me in the eyes. It was only then that I noticed his eyes had a faint hint of silver in them. As he pulled me along the floor, he twirled me around, returning back to swaying a little to the music. I glanced at the other couples and felt embarrassed suddenly. Everyone else was a real couple, Conrart and I were just pretending so we had a story as to why we were on the ship. It was so embarrassing to pretend to be in love with someone you'd only known for a short amount of time. Though Conrart was handsome, especially in this suit, he was still a stranger to me, I barely knew anything about him.

It was then that the song ended and we bowed to each other, returning back to the other end of the deck where people stood talking. As we stood there, chatting for a little, a sudden high pitched squeal caught our attention. Suddenly a woman with short orange hair, took much blue make-up and big biceps ran up to us. She was really pushing the edge between male and female.

"Oh~! How adorable you two look together~! So in love~!" she cooed. I raised a brow, trying to think of an appropriate comeback.

"T-Thanks… Those are some nice biceps you have there too" I replied. Suddenly I felt my stomach drop as the women giggled.

"Thanks, I work out" she replied in a really, really deep male voice. I blinked in shock suddenly, realizing my error. Conrart merely stood by my side smiling.

"Ah, Mr. Rodney and Miss Alyssa, good to see the two of you again" greeted a male voice and we turned to see Mr. Heathcrife there, smiling at us.

"Good to see you too Mr. Heathcrife" I replied, nodding my head to him.

"You look as lovely as ever Miss Alyssa, Mr. Rodney certainly looks quite dashing in that uniform. If you don't mind my asking, can one of you dance with my daughter Beatrice, she's feeling very left out" Mr. Heathcrife asked. I glanced up at Conrart.

"I'll dance with her, is that okay Rodney?" I asked. Conrart chuckled, nodding his head. I smiled back at him, walking away to where Beatrice sat on her own. I kneeled down in front of her.

"How about we go dance Beatrice? What do you say?" I offered. Beatrice looked at me for a few seconds then ran ahead of me onto the dance floor. I smiled, following her, then we held hands, stepping back and forth towards each other in time for the music.

"This is my first time dancing…" Beatrice admitted shyly. I smiled gently at her.

"I'm honoured to be your first dance partner. I'll lead you, so don't worry too much, just focus on having fun, okay?" I offered, leading Beatrice around the room from what Conrart had taught me earlier. As we continued dancing, I lifted her up into the air, earning happy giggles from her. I could see Conrart, the transvestite and Mr. Heathcrife watching with smiles on their faces. Beatrice looked like she was having so much fun.

"You're really cool, you know that? Cool, really pretty and a little odd" Beatrice stated. I tilted my head to the side a little.

"How am I odd?" I asked, honestly curious.

"The colour of your hair is a little odd, and your eyes are strange" Beatrice answered. I giggled, deciding to play along with it.

"I get that one a lot, don't worry" I reassured her when she looked like she was about to apologies. She smiled back at me, then we bowed to each other when the song had ended. She ran back happily to her father and I stepped off the dance floor, heading to where our rooms were. Conrart and the transvestite were busy talking, so I decided to go see how Wolfram was doing. As I stepped into the room I was suddenly greeted with a pillow to my face. I froze, blinking as it hit the ground, then looked at Wolfram who looked just as shocked as I did.

"Oh, sorry Kazumi… I thought you were that damn crew's man again…" Wolfram apologized. I smiled, walking and sitting down on the other bed in the room. Wolfram still looked like he was feeling sick, so he'd obviously gotten worse since he did my hair and make-up for me.

"Wait, what crews man are you talking about Wolfram?" I asked. Wolfram sighed to himself.

"A young boy who works for the crew of this ship. He snuck in suddenly and it wasn't until I questioned what he was doing in here that he actually noticed I was even here" Wolfram explained. I raised a brow. That was really odd.

"Was he a thief by any chance?" I asked. Wolfram shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows… all I know is that I haven't been able to get to sleep because of that guy…" Wolfram stated when suddenly the ship jerked, shaking. I gasped, clinging to some furniture as Wolfram rolled off the bed in shock. When the shaking had stopped I sighed in relief. Wolfram hoisted himself back up.

"What on earth was that!? An iceberg or something?" I asked. Wolfram frowned, listening to the silence when suddenly we heard people screaming above deck. We gasped, looking at each other in horror.

"Sounds like pirates!" Wolfram exclaimed, opening the closet suddenly. He pushed me in, hiding me under a black cloth to disguise me.

"Don't move or make any noise!" Wolfram hissed, closing the closet, locking it from the outside, then unsheathed his sword, running out the room to fight the pirates in the hall way.

When everything had gone silent I suddenly felt the weight of this situation fall on me. My stomach was tight and in knots. Wolfram nor Conrart had returned for me yet, so I assumed they were either still fighting or were captured. Suddenly the door to my room opened and I held my breath, listening to the pirates that entered my room.

"Boss said he wants the pretty girl, the one said to be the prettiest of all the girls on the ship… Just how the hell are we supposed to find her? We've checked everywhere…" they muttered. Were they talking about me? I wasn't the prettiest girl on the ship, not by far… Suddenly they unlocked the closet door and began investigating the closet. As they moved around, one of them suddenly stepped on my foot. I held my breath, biting my lip to hold in a scream. It hurt like hell and they hadn't even noticed nor gotten off my foot.

"Hey, what's that small piece of pink on the ground?" one of the pirates asked. My eyes widened when I realized they must've seen a little of my dress that wasn't hidden. They tore the cloth off from on top of me. I jumped forward at them, knocking them away as I quickly rushed to the door, running out, but was suddenly grabbed by my hair, my head being yanked painfully upwards. I grit my teeth, refraining from yelling out, tears in the corner of my eyes.

I was dragged out onto the deck as the men chuckled. I looked around at the people, seeing Conrart and Wolfram in the huge area where all the men sat. Pirates dressed in girl sailor uniforms stood around. The captain was no looker either. All I saw in front of me were women with their wrists tied together in a line, getting ready to board the ship.

"I'm seeing way too many men on this ship. I don't like the look of any of you!" the captain stated as his attention turned to me. I had both my arms being held up painfully by two pirates. I had no way of escaping. The captain jumped down the post he was standing on, then began walking towards me. His smirk gave me some clues as to what he was thinking, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Well well, you gave us some trouble little missy. But don't worry, I'm not gonna sell you on the slave market like all those other women and kids, no… you're going to be our personal woman. You know what that means? You cook our meals and we do whatever we want with ya, during the day and during the night" the captain exclaimed. My eyes widened in horror as he laughed. This man was sick, sick to the bone! I growled, stomping down on his foot with the hell of my shoe. He exclaimed in pain, jumping around with holding his foot.

The grip the other two pirates had loosened and I swung my arms away from them, running at the captain and swung my leg up, kicking him straight in the jaw. Good thing fencing class had also taught us a little self-defense. I rushed forward at his crippled body, grabbing his sword and turned to face the other two pirates that had run at me to hold me back. They took out their swords and I backed up a step, feeling outnumbered. This had been planned better in my head.

"I like a woman with spunk, makes it so much more fun to break them" stated a male voice from behind me and I turned suddenly, my wrist being gripped painfully as I dropped the sword, crying out in pain as he twisted my arm painfully behind my back. I suddenly found myself kneeling, my arm twisted very painfully behind me. The captain chuckled, tightening the grip. I cried out in pain again, hanging my head down as I grit my teeth to stop the stinging in my eyes.

Suddenly a smaller scream caught my attention. I looked up to see Beatrice in the line of children. A pirate had grabbed one of her pig tails and was pulling on it so hard she was crying.

"No! Let me go! Please!" Beatrice pleaded. I watched in horror as Mr. Heathcrife called out for his daughter. Beatrice called back for him, but neither could move to each other. I felt my anger boil, till eventually it boiled over. Suddenly an explosion of power burst on the deck, knocking all the pirates away from me. My hair had returned back to black during the blast and it was flying around in the blue glue I had around me.

"W-What the!?" the captain cried out, looking horrified. He growled.

"Get her boys! Kill her!" he exclaimed. The pirates surrounded me with their swords, but another blast of energy knocked them all down. The blue glow that looked almost like a blue flame began to morph into the shape of a person. It blasted energy on all the knocked down pirates, pinning them down to the ground.

"It seems she's regained her powers… though I had no idea she could use magic in the human realm" Wolfram muttered. Conrart merely sighed in relief. He had been so worried when she tried to fight back against them.

"W-What is this monster!?" the captain cried out, shaking as the person made of flames grabbed him, picking him up and then pinned him to the mast in blue flames.

Suddenly a siren of a nearby boat caught everyone attention. I turned to face the boat, seeing it to be a patrol boat. Someone else could take over with the pirates now. I felt my strength leave me suddenly as the glow disappeared and I fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Wolfram and Conrart rushed over to me just as my eyes closed and I went out like a light.

When I awoke I found myself in a small cramped room. It was dark and damp and I felt like a steam roller had run me over. I held my arms, shivering.

"Where the heck am I?" I asked, looking around, hoping the small window would give me some clue. Suddenly the door opened and I saw Conrart, Wolfram and some man with short, orange hair and blue eyes. I gasped when I realized it was the transvestite.

"Here you are Your Majesty" Conrart exclaimed as he and Wolfram ran to my side. I smiled at them in relief.

"Thank god you found me… Where are we anyway?" I asked. Wolfram sighed in relief.

"Your powers went whack when the pirates attacked, so they found out we were demons. They locked Conrart and myself up in a cell and locked you up here. I don't know why they separated us though" Wolfram explained.

"If I may Your Highness, My name is Yozak. I've been undercover as back-up in case something like this happened. They locked you up in here so they could wait till you awoke and then… well… they were going to torture you because you're a female demon… sick humans" Yozak explained. I felt my stomach drop at his explanation.

"Well, shouldn't we get out of here?" I asked. Conrart nodded, helping me stand, then we rushed out onto the deck secretly. We jumped onto a small row boat, then lowered ourselves into the ocean.

"So, now we go to Vandavia island to get Morgif?" I asked. Wolfram nodded at me as we grabbed the oars then began to row our way to the island. It was difficult and Wolfram looked sick again, but at least we weren't in those cells anymore.


	6. The Demon Sword Morgif Likes Girls!

As we drifted on the boat we were smothered in a fog. I leaned back, curling up in the boat a little to try and get some sleep. My hair was out the boat, the ends touching the water. My hair was still back to his black state and I was in the dress still. Conrart was back in his military outfit and Wolfram had never changed. I glanced over at Yozak, he was directing the boat with a paddle and singing an old song about Vandavia Island, the island of dreams apparently. I sighed, curling up more and letting sleep take over. I was still exhausted from using my powers on the passenger boat.

I was stirred into consciousness when Conrart gently shook my shoulders. I opened my eyes to look at him. He immediately sat me up and I rubbed my eyes.

"Still tired? You slept for a few good days in the cell" Conrart asked. I nodded, standing and noticing we were on shore. Yozak and Wolfram were already on the beach, waiting for Conrart and myself. I stood shakily and jumped onto the sand. Conrart followed after me and immediately I found my black hair being dyed to brown again and I had those blasted contacts put back in again.

"Great…" I muttered to myself as I followed after Yozak with Wolfram, with Conrart taking up the rear. We walked up a trail through some forests and tough terrain till eventually we came to a steep mountain. The moment I saw it, I gasped in delight.

"Mountain climbing!" I exclaimed happily, running ahead of Yozak. He blinked in surprise as I stopped at the foot of the mountain, or hill if you want to call it that. I went to take a step forward when I stopped, looking down at my dress. It was muddy and went to the floor, it was torn in several spots and definitely wouldn't help me climb. So, I decided my next course of action. I took the dress's skirt and began ripping it.

"W-What are you doing Kazumi!?" Wolfram exclaimed in horror. I glared at him.

"How can I climb in this dress!? Think for a second Wolfram! I'm making the skirt shorter so I can climb!" I explained, ripping it so it went above my knees. I tossed the remaining cloth aside and looked at the boys. They looked shocked, and I could see a faint hint of pink on all their faces. I raised a brow at them, then turned, grabbing the first small rock and began hoisting myself up. What was with them? Had they never seen a girl's bare legs before? I'd tossed my shoes away ages ago, so I was tracking it barefoot.

"Is she always so forward in showing skin commander?" Yozak asked Conrart in a whisper. Conrart cleared his throat.

"I don't think she intended that. But she's right, she had no other way of climbing it. And look how happy she looks climbing, you can tell she enjoys it" Conrart explained. Yozak chuckled.

"I can see that, she looks like a monkey with how fast she's climbing that mountain" Yozak stated, laughing as he ran at the mountain to try and catch up. I looked down at Yozak then laughed down at him as I began climbing faster.

"I'm gonna catch up to you Your Highness!" Yozak taunted. I giggled, looking down at him as I jumped up to the next spot.

"I'd like to see you try!" I taunted back, grabbing the last ledge and hoisting myself up. That was when it happened. The rock I was on began shaking and fell. I gasped, letting out a scream as it tumbled down with me still on it!

"Kazumi!" Wolfram and Conrart yelled out as I felt myself falling. It had looked stable when I went on it, obviously not. As I fell, I was suddenly grabbed and held in thick, strong arms. I glanced up at my savior and saw Yozak sighing in relief.

"Well, that would've ended badly, eh?" he asked, winking at me. I smiled at him, finding my own stable footing, then glanced down at Conrart and Wolfram. They were smiling in relief.

"Sorry about that guys… I didn't mean to worry you…" I replied, smiling shakily. The whole incident had left me pretty shaken up, and we decided to cancel our race. The boys said it was alright and they were just happy I was unharmed. When we finally reached the top I stretched out my arms, noticing a bruise on my arm.

"Must've gotten that from the fall" I muttered to myself, then jogged after the boys when I noticed they'd begun leaving me behind.

"Wait up!" I called out, running after them, avoiding the rocks on the ground. Yozak chuckled, grinning at me then stuck out his tongue. I pouted, seeing him begin running away.

"Get back here!" I called out, running past Wolfram and Conrart who were smiling and laughing at how easily fumed I was getting, and began running after Yozak at full speed. Yozak laughed, jumping up ahead of me, and began climbing another tough piece of track. I huffed, running and climbing after him, growling as I managed to climb faster than he was. He gasped in shocked, then jumped up, landing at the top of the hill.

"No fair being superhuman!" I declared, managing to climb to the top and began running after him again.

"Just be careful not to slip…" Wolfram muttered, sighing to himself as Conrart chuckled.

"She certainly is active and lively" Conrart stated, smiling at Wolfram. Wolfram froze for a second when he saw Conrart's expression, then shook it off quickly.

"Probably burning off all that energy she built up from sleeping so much…" Wolfram muttered, huffing to himself. Conrart simply laughed more.

I finally saw Yozak sitting at a small café or inn, drinking what looked like a cup of coffee. He sat there, then looked at me with a smug look. I pouted at him, deciding I didn't like this guy. We were going to get along like cats and dogs. Conrart and Wolfram finally caught up and I sighed, sitting down opposite from Yozak, with Conrart and Wolfram either side of me. Wolfram didn't look too great due to all the travelling we'd been doing.

"You alright there Wolfram?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Wolfram glared at me.

"Shut up…" he muttered, letting his eyes close as he slept. I giggled halfheartedly.

"Well, guess it's just us three then" I stated, seeing Conrart smile at Yozak.

"Guess so, shall we get moving once everyone's finished their coffee?" Yozak asked. Conrart nodded, looking to me for my consent. I nodded back at him, grabbing my cup of coffee and taking a sip. I yelped, placing it down as I put a hand to my mouth.

"Ow! It's hot…" I whimpered, glaring at the coffee.

"You're supposed to be careful" Yozak taunted, giving me that challenging look again. What was with this guy? One minute he was nice to me, the next he was teasing, taunting and making me feel stupid… Conrart gave me an apologetic smile, glancing up when the maid cleared her throat to ask something.

"Now, I don't mean to pry, but if you people are here for the fire dancing festival, you're on the wrong mountain, it's on the next one" she asked, and I looked at the boys.

"No, we're on the correct mountain, we're here for the hot spring at the top of this mountain" Conrart explained, looking shocked when the maid suddenly dropped her tray to the floor with a loud crash.

"You don't all mean THE hot spring at the top of this mountain, do you? That hot spring ain't ever been the same since IT fell from the sky years ago. It boiled the spring to lava for three days and anyone who goes in dies or gets severe, third degree burns! One brave traveler went in to see the object so he could get it out, but when they got him out, he was barely clinging to life. He just kept saying 'it's face! its face!' over and over! It's cursed I tell you, please be careful" the maid explained. I gulped, suddenly seeing this as a bad idea.

"We'll be fine, we're not going in, we've just gone to check it out" Conrart reassured her, but I was beginning to feel doubtful. Conrart, Yozak and myself decided to leave Wolfram behind there and continue up on foot by ourselves.

"Do you think that effect on the hot spring was caused by the demon sword?" I asked, walking close to Conrart to avoid the shoots of steam that were spurting out the ground. A shot of steam suddenly took me by surprise and I latched onto Conrart's arm, looking at it in fright. Conrart chuckled, glancing down at me with a reassuring smile.

"Beginning to have second thoughts?" Yozak asked and I blinked up at him in confusion.

"Second thoughts? No, I'm just a little frightened is all" I explained, frowning at him. He shrugged his shoulders, then began walking ahead.

"Second thoughts won't do you any good. If you get it, you do, if you don't, then you'll be like all the other people that have been hurt trying to get that sword and we'll fish your battered body out the water" Yozak stated. I growled, not liking the way he was talking to me.

"I said I wasn't having second thoughts! I'm a human, well, half demon actually, like Conrart, but the fact I'm trying to get across is I'm just like everyone else! I wasn't made perfect and I feel emotions just like everyone else, happiness, sadness, fear, anxiety, excitement, all those emotions! So once in a while, I'm going to be afraid, but I'm not going to turn and run away, never! I decided that when I became Queen!" I snapped at him before Conrart had the chance to scold Yozak. Yozak blinked at me in shock, stunned by my outburst. I huffed to myself, walking past him and towards the hot spring.

"Yozak, you need to watch your tongue around Her Highness. She has a will of her own and won't be controlled. She opposes against Gwendal and his notions of defending the country through threatening. She wishes to find peaceful solutions and protect the country her own way" Conrart stated to Yozak after I'd stormed off ahead. When I reached the top I exclaimed loudly in awe at the hot springs. This caused the boys to come running quickly, thinking I was in trouble, but when they'd gotten to the top, they froze in shock. I was standing at the edge of the hot spring, my foot in the water, and nothing was happening.

"It's not burning you?" Conrart asked in shock. I shook my head, smiling at the two of them.

"Feels like a nice warm bath!" I replied, wading to the boat that was at the edge of the spring.

"Let's go, shall we?" I asked, jumping into the boat and waiting for the two of them. They soon joined me and I found myself between Yozak and Conrart on the boat. Did something happen to the two of them? They were acting a little distant to each other. As we continued floating into the cave and to the sword, Yozak dipped the wooden oar he had and the water splashed up, getting his hand. He exclaimed loudly and I gasped, grabbing his hand suddenly, investigating the burn that was showing.

"Oh no, this water really is corrosive… Your hand's really swelling…" I stated while looking at the bright red burn on the back of his hand. Suddenly water from the oar dripped and hit my skirt. I froze in pain, grabbing the spot of the burn and winced.

"Ow! That's hot! I don't get it, my feet were fine…" I yelped, feeling a tear come to the corner of my eye for a second. Conrart had been sitting there, watching the whole thing and thinking.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to request you to take your clothes off before retrieving Morgif" Conrart suddenly stated. I gasped at him, my face flushed pure red.

"I thought you weren't like that Conrart! How could you even ask such a thing!? You two are both guys!" I exclaimed as Yozak smirked, liking this idea. Conrart chuckled.

"I didn't mean it like that… I was referring to the hot springs. Your skin is okay because it's a part of your body, but your clothes isn't a part of you, and that's why you got burnt when the water touched your skirt" Conrart explained. I processed what he said then sighed.

"What is with this world of yours and nudity? Is it some kind of secret ritual or something?" I asked and Conrart chuckled.

"I don't believe I've read anything about a nude ritual and I've been around for quite a long time" Conrart replied, and I pouted at him.

"Alright, but turn around! Both of you! If either of you peak I will splash water up at your eyes!" I threatened. Both of them gulped and turned around quickly. I made quick work of my dress and the remainder of my gloves, bra and underwear, then slipped into the water. When they heard the small splash they turned back around. I surfaced again, sighing in content.

"Wow… this feels like a great bath" I muttered to myself as I began swimming ahead to the glow of the sword.

"Just grab the sword and return Your Highness, don't do anything rash" Yozak called out from the boat.

"Like I could if I wanted to…" I muttered, wading closer. When I was close enough to see, I frowned. This was Morgif!? Its face looked kinda weird… wait, face!? Just as Conrart and Yozak were talking quietly amongst themselves, my scream echoed through the cave. Conrart gasped, leaning to the edge of the boat quickly to see what was wrong. I was standing upright, holding the sword up at the roof, but it looked like I was trying to pull the sword towards myself then away from myself.

"What is she doing?" Yozak asked, not amused.

"The sword! It's attacking me! Bad! Bad Sword!" I yelled at Morgif, but his face was lit with love hearts and he was making weird barking noises. He kept trying to hop closer to me.

"Do I need to drown you!?" I threatened, shoving the sword into the water and I began wading over to the boat again, making sure I was covered by the water. When I reached the edge of the boat, I shoved the sword in, glaring at the sword.

"Bad Morgif! You don't attack me! I don't care what your reason was! My chest is not a place to burry your face into!" I yelled at the sword as he made a sad groaning noise. Conrart and Yozak blinked at each other in confusion and disbelief. Was this really the great Morgif?

"Would you like to get out now Your Majesty?" Yozak asked. Conrart held out a towel and I grabbed the edge of the boat, hoisting myself up. Yozak gasped, blushing bright red and looking away. Conrart was a little pink in the face but he quickly put the towel over my shoulders. I sat there, drawing the towel to myself. I looked down at the sword on the floor of the boat. He was still groaning sadly.

"You've had a long enough bath Morgif, it's time for you to get some sunlight" I stated to the sword, trying to cheer it up now. He looked at me then groaned sadly again. I sighed in defeat, hugging the towel tightly, wrapping it over my shoulders and head as I turned my back to them, getting back into my clothes. I'd put the battered dress back on and removed the towel, sighing.

"I can't wait till I get better clothes… these are getting holes in all the wrong spots" I muttered.

"Shall we go buy some for you Your Majesty?" Yozak asked, sounding irritated. I frowned at him.

"Well sorry for wanting to look a little decent…" I muttered, glaring at Yozak. He smirked to himself, rowing us back to shore. We began walking back to the inn when a shot of the hot steam scorched my leg suddenly.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, jumping away and holding my leg tightly in my hand.

"Are you alright?" Conrart asked, even Yozak looked a little worried.

"Y-Yeah… I just think I scorched it a little… that stung…" I replied, letting my leg go to see a bright red burn on it. Conrart immediately was at my side, investigating the burn.

"This is bad… we need cold water…" Conrart stated, holding the side of my leg ever so gently.

"It'll be fine till we get to the inn… I'm sure there's cold water there…" I replied, earning a growl from Yozak.

"Let us treat it! We can't wait that long!" he snapped. I glared at him.

"What the hell!? You make me feel stupid when I suggest getting anything done now, and then you make me feel stupid when I shrug off my own pain to wait for others! Can you make up your mind Yozak!?" I snapped, glaring dangerously at him. He blinked at me, stunned. Even Conrart looked stunned. I shrugged myself of Conrart's hands and began storming back down to the inn, despite the searing pain in my leg.

"Yozak… she's right… you've been hypocritical to her all day… Just what is your issue?" Conrart asked, standing behind Yozak. Yozak shrugged his shoulders and began walking back to the inn. Conrart sighed, following after us.

When we arrived back at the inn, Wolfram was looking much better. The moment he saw the burn he made quick work to treat it. I found myself back in my school uniform and laying on the bed with some strange, wet, moist plant wrapped around the burn on my leg.

"You're saying Morgif attacked you?" Wolfram asked. I nodded, sitting up.

"Yeah, but it wasn't aggressive… I think he was just being a pervert…" I explained, looking at Morgif who was on the table nearby, still groaning sadly.

"Oh would you stop pouting!?" I exclaimed angrily at the sword. He shut up quickly.

"Seems he's still obedient… I just think it's because he likes girls… and this is the first time he's had a female master…" Wolfram explained, still reading the book Gunter had given him about Morgif. I sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and hoisted myself up so I was standing. Wolfram was so absorbed in his book he hadn't even noticed that I'd left.

I walked down the hall of the inn, hearing two men talking. I assumed it was Yozak and Conrart. I leaned close to the door, not meaning to eavesdrop, but I just wanted to know what Yozak's problem with me was.

"You've been pushing your boundaries a lot today Yozak… It needs to stop. Her Highness can only take so much before she snaps and loses control of her powers, as she's proven a few times. She's unused to magic and because of that, she has a lot of trouble controlling it. Be careful, you've been warned" Conrart said in warning as Yozak laughed in response.

"Thanks for the warning Commander, but I'll be fine! Besides, what about you? You've been letting it all get to your head! She hasn't chosen you as her personal knight, but you still come running to her every beck and call, even more than the soldier is supposed to. I saw the way you danced with her at the party, you let it all get to your head, you were actually happy, enjoying yourself!" Yozak stated, a hint of distaste in his voice. Conrart sighed, placing his glass of alcohol down.

"And enjoying myself is suddenly not allowed?" Conrart asked. Yozak glared at him.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that she's poisoning your mind Commander… You used to be called the Lion of Ruttenburg, now look at you! You're a lapdog, you've fallen far from grace Commander… You're letting her get to you. She just looks up to you because you're all she has in this world at the moment, the moment she finds someone else she has a connection with, you'll be second hand garbage!" Yozak explained.

"Yozak! You will not speak of Her Highness in such a way! If you continue to do so, I will relieve you of your duties immediately" Conrart warned. Yozak snorted a laugh in response.

"Have you forgotten what happened with our last Monarch!? It wasn't Lady Cecilie's intention to send us to war, but her fault was that she placed her trust in the wrong people! Who's to say this kid isn't going to make the same mistake!? Who's to say whether or not she's going to trust people like Stoffel and Hube!? And besides, have you already forgotten her!? Have you already forgotten Julia!?" Yozak exclaimed when Conrart slammed his fist on the table, silencing Yozak.

"Yozak! I've heard enough! You will end this conversation immediately! Now, either you go clear your head, or I will leave the room" Conrart snarled, seeing Yozak sigh, but remain seated. I sighed silently, walking away and sitting on the veranda of the inn, looking out at the afternoon sky.

"Your Highness?" Conrart asked when he stepped out and saw me sitting there on my own. He approached me, standing behind me and cleared his throat again. I glanced up at him, then sighed, looking back out at the night.

"Yozak doesn't like me very much, does he? I mean… at first I thought he was just some stuck up show off, but he really, really doesn't like me, does he? And I mean, I don't blame him… I'm irritable… I can't control my emotions half the time… and I say some of the most stupid things ever… and yet he has to just shut up and obey? It doesn't seem fair, that someone like me would be given so much power…" I muttered, and Conrart gave me a sympathetic look. He sat next to me, glancing at me sadly.

"I wouldn't say he doesn't like you… he just wants to be sure he can put his faith into you as a Queen…" Conrart explained, trying to cheer me up. I sighed, hugging my knees.

"I don't blame him… I wouldn't be able to do half the things he's done by the sound of it…" I whispered. Conrart looked startled for a second, realizing I must've heard their conversation, but then suddenly smiled.

"How about we go check out that fire festival?" he asked. I blinked up at him in confusion.

"The fire festival?! That's on the other mountain! We'd never make it in time!" I asked, confused by his motive.

"Maybe not, but we can always make our own!" Conrart stated, running off into the trees for a bit. I stayed there, watching and waiting until he returned with a huge stack of wood and timber. He began placing it on the ground, setting it up until he went to light it, starting a nice big fire. I gasped in awe at the splendid fire. I wasn't really scared of this fire for some reason. Maybe the fact that it wasn't attacking me and Conrart had made it served as calming factors? Conrart suddenly turned to face me, offering me his hand.

"Can I have this dance, Your Majesty?" he asked. I blinked in awe, struck by the glow of the flames against him. My face began to burn as I hesitantly gave him my hand. He pulled me up so I was standing, then led me to the fire. We stood nearby and Conrart suddenly stood behind me, holding my hands and led us back and forth in some kind of tribal dance around the fire. I was a little clumsy at first, but once I got the rhythm of it, it came naturally. Soon we were dancing like on that night on the boat, and I felt really happy.

"That smile is better" Conrart stated, smiling as he studied my expression. As we danced around the fire, I turned to look at Conrart.

"Conrart… forgive me for prying… but who's Julia?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. Conrart's expression faltered and he looked a little sad.

"Julia von Wittcott, daughter of the head of one of the aristocrat families. She was one of the three Great Witches of the Great Demon Kingdom, known as Julia the White, the healer of our kingdom. She died in the terrible war we suffered 20 years ago. She and I were good friends, comrades. She was also blind, yet she somehow managed to make a difference to our Kingdom drastically. We all looked up to her, but during the war she exhausted her powers while healing the wounded and died because of it" Conrart explained, sadness all over his face.

"I'm sorry for asking you such a difficult question, I didn't mean to bring up old wounds… That scar on your eye brow, did you get that during that war?" I asked, not able to keep my mouth shut. Conrart stopped, standing still for a second, then placed his hand over his right eye that had the scar.

"Yes, I got that during the war. I was part of the Ruttenburg division, a team of half demons such as myself. We were sent onto the frontline with barely enough supplies to keep us alive… Everyone died but Yozak and myself… I was almost fatally wounded as well" Conrart explained, looking sad still and covering his eye. I felt my heart break at the mentions of the war, and lifted my hand up, lowering his hand from his eye as my other hand gently ran over the scar. Conrart flinched for a second, not sure what to expect, but calmed down when he realized what I was doing.

"I know the war was something terrible, and no one should be forced to go through half the things you've gone through Conrart, but without some of the things that have happened to us, we wouldn't be who we are today… like your scars, they make up who you are. Don't be ashamed of them, they display how brave you were during the war and how you'll always continue to protect the Monarch and serve the country, correct? If you ask me, I think your scars are beautiful" I stated and Conrart looked at me in shock, then smiled gently.

"Thank you Your Highness…" he thanked, still smiling. I pouted at him, lightly hitting his arm.

"What have I told you? I have a name!" I warned him. He chuckled, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry, Kazumi… thank you…" he thanked, smiling warmly at me as I beamed a smile back at him.

"I don't expect you to open up everything about yourself to me straight away, I want you to tell me when you're ready, okay?" I stated and Conrart nodded.

"You make sure to do the same, okay?" Conrart replied. I nodded back at him and we continued dancing into the night while Yozak watched the entire thing. His opinion of their Monarch had changed a little when he saw her reactions about the war, but he was still planning on testing her a little more. He needed to be absolutely sure.


	7. Fight for Life

**I WANT TO THANK MY AWESOME BETA READER! (Heartlessly Awesome) YOU ARE AWESOME! you already knew that though, lol. So please, thank her and enjoy this new style of the story! **

**Kazumi's POV**

When morning came, I shifted sleepily in my bed. Conrart and I had been up late last night dancing by the bonfire he'd lit and I was really sleepy.

"Come on, Your Majesty, time to get up and kill someone!" Yozak stated, shaking my shoulder as I gasped, sitting up in shock at what he'd said.

"What? Kill someone?" I exclaimed loudly as Yozak grinned at me, giving me a peace sign. I growled in response, not liking the way he was just throwing that language around.

"I will not kill anyone, no matter how much we need it to activate Morgif…" I snarled at him and he chuckled.

"Sure you will, otherwise what was the point of getting Morgif in the first place?" Yozak taunted, shrugging his shoulders and looking to the side. I felt my anger snap. I grabbed the collar of Yozak's shirt, pulling him towards me as I glared dangerously into his eyes.

"Listen, I will never take a life! You hear me? I will never sign papers declaring war and I will not sacrifice any lives in order to further our own agenda! I will find a way to sort it out peacefully without any blood shed and I'd appreciate a little support!" I yelled into his face as Conrart and Wolfram opened the door to my room, wondering what all the noise was about.

"Kazumi! Calm down!" Wolfram urged, running to me and pulling my hands away from Yozak, trying to hold me down till I calmed down. Yozak looked very startled, afraid he'd set off my other self. I merely growled, letting my limbs go limp, then sighed.

"I'm fine, Wolfram. You can let me go now… I was merely telling him what I was going to do, not what he wanted me to do…" I stated, shrugging myself free of Wolfram's arms and standing up. I walked out the room, keeping my head high in pride, and walked to the dining area.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Conrart glared at Yozak the moment Kazumi exited the room.

"What did you say to her?" he asked, still glaring.

"I merely told her that she'd have to kill someone to activate Morgif." Yozak replied, still stunned by what had happened.

"That won't be necessary… we'll find a different way… Her Highness would never do such a thing, even if her life depended on it." Conrart stated, exiting the room and following after her. Wolfram just stood there, looking confused.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

I sighed in frustration, sitting down and beginning to eat my breakfast. Conrart had approached me carefully, sitting down. He didn't want to get me mad at risk of my Demon side coming out.

"Your Majesty? Please, try to remember what I said last night; Yozak's just testing you… he wants to be sure he's putting his faith in the right person." Conrart tried to explain but I slammed my fist into the table, glaring at him. Conrart looked startled when he saw the tint of hurt in my eyes.

"Even so! That gives him no right to enter my room, wake me up, then tell me that despite what I say against it, I will go kill someone! No one has the right to make me do such a thing, regardless of me being Queen or not!" I snapped, feeling tears on the verge of coming out. Conrart gave me a pitied look and gently patted my head, ruffling my hair lightly.

"No, he doesn't… and I'll make sure he never does it again… But right now, you need to pick yourself up and not let what he said get to you. Remember, Your Majesty, I swore to protect you. Not only from physical injury, but also mental and emotional injury too. I'll protect you from Yozak's harsh words." Conrart stated, ruffling my hair one last time. He then stood, walking away so I could clean myself up.

I finished eating breakfast and then Wolfram insisted on brushing my hair and making me look 'decent' by apparently putting some light make-up on my face.

"You know that stuff makes my face feel heavy, right?" I asked him but he paid me no heed. He merely smirked in triumph when he was done.

"Ta da! My latest masterpiece! I'm going to go fetch Lord Weller and Yozak. You stay here! I wanna see their reactions!" Wolfram stated, running off to fetch Conrart and Yozak. I sat there, sighing to myself.

"The way you said that makes it feel like you've turned me into a circus freak show…" I muttered as I heard Wolfram boasting to them as I heard their footsteps approaching.

"Wait until you see! It's my greatest masterpiece yet!" Wolfram said happily. I could hear the two of them laughing as they were dragged by Wolfram. When Wolfram opened my door, I sighed. I looked up to see their reactions and saw that the both of them were frozen on the spot, making my cheeks heat up. They just simply stared at me and I couldn't tell if it was in awe or in horror.

"S-Staring like that is just making me feel self-conscious…" I whispered, looking away as they snapped to their senses.

Conrart cleared his throat. "I'm going to go into town and look for a way for us to get a life for the sword without having to resort to killing anyone." Conrart stated, walking away. I watched him leave, wanting nothing more than to run after him.

"Well, shall we get searching as well, Your Highness?" Yozak asked, gaining Wolfram's attention.

"I'm going too! Yesterday, I was cramped here by myself, this time I'm helping!" Wolfram declared. I was suddenly thankful Wolfram had chipped in, otherwise I would've been alone with Yozak and that probably wouldn't have ended well.

* * *

I soon found myself being dragged into town with Yozak and Wolfram, Morgif attached nicely to my waist and around my shoulder. He was muttering happily to himself. I sighed, glaring down at him.

"So where are we going?" I asked, sticking closer to Wolfram than Yozak. Yozak chuckled to himself as he bent down, picking up a flying piece of paper. He read it then exclaimed happily. Wolfram and I looked at each other in confusion before looking back at Yozak, a look of confusion still on our faces. Yozak grinned and explained himself.

"I've found a way to get what we need! It says here they need someone to witness the end of a life! You can go for the job, Your Majesty, then absorb the soul from someone already dying!" Yozak exclaimed, facing me. I bit my lip, my gut was feeling really sore now.

* * *

I'd passed the interviews easily, and soon I was in a room surrounded by what looked like gladiators. They had armor attached to their clothes and they were choosing their weapons. I ended up being put in armor as well and had Morgif still attached to my waist.

"What the heck's going on? How did I end up here again?" I asked, seeing all the horrible smirks on their faces. They were taking pleasure in dressing up to slaughter. I watched in horror as some of them talked about torturing convicts and having fun with a slow death. I was completely stuck for words, finding the sight absolutely horrible. The only things running through my head was that I needed to get out of here, quick!

"Heh, every year there's at least one of them! One that has no clue what they're walking into. Here's some advice; when you fight, stab the edge of the blade into the front of their neck and then it'll be an instant kill, no guilt or regret" One of the mean looking gladiators stated, coming up to me and patting my back. I tensed immediately, suddenly feeling fearful for my life. Would Morgif even work like that?

"Alright, you bums! Take your position numbers and get ready to spill some blood!" Said the man who had hired me. I felt my blood freeze in my veins when I was suddenly told I was going first. I had to go first? What the hell? As I walked hesitantly into the arena, a tall man came out to greet me. I gasped in horror when I realized it was the captain of the pirate ship that had attacked us. He gasped in horror when he noticed it was me, then smirked to himself.

"I'll enjoy cutting you down!" he snarled, wielding his sword and suddenly rushing at me. I blocked, feeling the shockwave through Morgif. I jumped back a step, feeling the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I turned, jumping back a few steps before I swung Morgif around, aiming for his neck. I ended up hitting the back of his neck, sending him flying but there was no cut. I blinked in surprise and then glared down at Morgif then I realized he was so blunt he couldn't even cut.

"What the hell? I get a sword that can't cut?" I hissed to him as he groaned happily in response. When I looked up, I had to quickly duck to avoid a strike aimed for my head. I rolled on the ground, jumping up and back a few steps. The captain growled, running for me again. I swung Morgif back at him, striking his sword.

"I'll cut your head off your shoulders! I'll make sure to do it slowly and painfully! I'll hack away at little bits until your head is off, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it!" the captain snarled at me. I gasped when I realized he was serious, then I kicked some sand up in his eyes. I used this chance to jump and dash away, putting some distance between us. I refused to kill him, regardless of what he'd done or what he intended to do, but I knew he wasn't going to show me the same courtesy. I ran like my life depended on it, jumping behind some barrels that had been placed in the arena as obstacles. I used this chance to catch my breath.

"What the heck? Yozak knew about this, didn't he? He's trying to get me to kill someone!" I muttered to myself, panting heavily. It'd been a little while since I last fought this hard. I suddenly recalled my fight with Adelbert. I had stood no chance! My body was just too frail and small. Adelbert was built like a body builder or something, he was freaking huge! There was no way in hell I was ever going to stand a chance. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see the captain swinging his sword down at me. I gasped, letting out a scream as I rolled back, narrowly avoiding his hit and jumping up to my feet. He growled at me.

"Just let me kill you already!" he snapped, charging at me again. Morgif groaned happily, making me raise my arms so I could deflect the attack. I hadn't done that; Morgif must've made me move. The clank of metal against metal was loud and I could hear my ears ringing.

"Just die!" The captain yelled, turning, swinging the sword at my side. I froze in horror. Everything seemed to run in slow motion. There was no way I was going to be able to avoid that swing! Just when I though all hope was lost, Morgif suddenly moved himself, shielding me from the attack. I was sent flying back a few steps as everything refocused. I gasped, jumping up to dash off again. My feet suddenly failed me and I could feel the ground rushing up to meet me. I hit hard, sliding forward a little as Morgif flew out my hands. I gasped, seeing him slide a few meters away from me, then heard the captain chuckle.

"Time to die, little girl! You're out of luck! I'll make you pay for what you did to me! You stole everything from me! My crew, my gold, my ship! You stole it all when you transformed and sent those blue flamed people after us! But now I'm getting it all back!" The captain announced, swinging his sword at me. I gasped in horror, seeing the blade come crashing down at me. I closed my eyes, looking away as I braced myself for impact, but it never came. I only heard a slashing sound near me. When I opened my eyes, I saw the sword pressed into the ground right next to my head. I felt sweat fall down my face as I froze, realizing it had been too close. I looked up at the captain to see he was frozen in horror, staring a fair distance away. Suddenly the crowd began screaming about a monster. I turned, seeing Morgif had suddenly began blasting this huge, glowing beam out his mouth.

I decided to use this chance and kicked the captain off me, jumping up and running to Morgif, picking him up as the beam suddenly exploded into a freaking tornado! It ragged around the stadium and I had no choice but to hold onto the sword tightly otherwise I would've been blown away.

"Morgif! Stop!" I screamed over the roar of the tornado. Morgif paid me no heed. Suddenly the crowd began screaming about the Demon Sword Morgif and everyone began evacuating. Even the soldiers that had been around the edge of the arena had fled, including the captain.

"Morgif! That's enough! You saved my life, you can stop now!" I screamed to Morgif but he paid me no heed again.

"Your Majesty!" Conrart suddenly exclaimed as he ran to me.

"Conrart! When did you get here?" I yelled, glancing at him, but I didn't dare turn around, otherwise I'd hit Conrart with the tornado. He looked frightened, probably just as much as I was.

"What did you do?" He asked, stopping and questioning whether it was safe or not to get closer.

"I don't know! I was about to be killed and I suddenly closed my eyes! When I opened them, Morgif was suddenly spewing a tornado!" I shouted back, turning the sword to look at Morgif's face and I instantly regretted it. I was suddenly blasted by the tornado, making me drop Morgif as the tornado was suddenly blasted at me! I screamed, feeling the energy blasting me, hitting me and making me feel weaker instantly.

"Morgif! STOP!" I screamed loudly, covering my face with my hands as I was battered by the aggressive winds and energy Morgif was producing. Morgif seemed to realize what he was doing just as Conrart realized as well.

"KAZUMI!" He screamed, running to me. Morgif managed to stop, swallowing the rest of his power as I felt things calm around me. I felt really weak; most of my energy had been sucked up. I felt air flowing past me and it was then that I realized I was falling. I was falling backwards and Morgif was groaning repeatedly, sounding like he was worried. I never felt the ground though, and when I weakly opened my eyes, I saw Conrart looking at me worriedly. I was being cradled in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked me when he realized I was conscious. I looked at him weakly, not sure of that myself.

"Y-Yeah… just… tired…" I muttered, falling unconscious against him.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Conrart sighed shakily, having been shaken by the whole incident. He placed Kazumi's body back down on the ground, grabbing Morgif and attaching him to his waist, then picked her up again, making a run for it before the humans managed to capture them.

Soon Yozak, Wolfram and Conrart were dressed as human soldiers, carrying the unconscious queen away through the panicking and screaming crowd.

"You're saying Morgif did that to protect her, then he ended up accidentally attacking her and stopped when he realized he was hurting her?" Wolfram asked, running alongside Conrart, looking at the young girl's sleeping figure worriedly. She was curled up in Conrart's arms, in a deep slumber.

"Yes, she's just tired… My guess is that Morgif sucked up her strength through the tornado, which must be why Morgif was so badly feared and powerful." Conrart explained, continuing to run with the two. They eventually reached the edge of the port, seeing a boat in the distance.

"Hello, everyone" Lady Celi called from the bow of the ship. She landed in port, collected them, and then went off again in the ocean. Conrart placed Kazumi on the large couch, allowing her to get some rest. Morgif was placed on a large table and everyone else sat around the couch.

"The poor girl… she must be exhausted… Having to travel with three men and then have the Demon Sword suck all the strength out of her…" Celi stated, looking at the sleeping figure of the young queen sympathetically as Morgif began groaning sadly.

"Will she wake up?" Wolfram pondered, wondering just how much strength Morgif had sucked out.

"Well, when she was being attacked, she screamed very loudly, and when she told Morgif to stop, she said that rather loudly too, so my guess is she lost a lot of energy." Conrart concluded, making Wolfram look at him worriedly.

"Well, I guess if she doesn't wake up, we'll just have to let her go." Yozak commented and Conrart growled dangerously.

"Yozak! You've disrespected Her Highness for the last time! What were you thinking anyway? Signing her up for something so horrible! You almost got her killed! She specifically stated that she would not kill, but what did you do? You sign her up for a gladiator tournament! If you ever, and I mean _ever_, put Kazumi in danger again, you can consider yourself a dead man!" Conrart threatened, leaving the room and leaving Yozak stunned in fear.

"Did I cross the line?" Yozak asked. Wolfram sighed, nodding.

"Oh… I just thought it'd be a quick and easy way to get what we needed…" Yozak stated, instantly feeling guilty.

"You should've thought it through a bit more beforehand though…" Wolfram muttered. Yozak sighed to himself sadly.

"It's okay, Yozak, I'm not mad at you… It was the right decision to do that… it might not have been the most wanted decision, but it was the correct choice." A weak voice stated weakly. The two men and Lady Celi turned to see Kazumi sitting up on the couch.

"Young Lady!" Yozak exclaimed as Wolfram instantly shot to her side.

"Kazumi! You're awake!" Wolfram announced, helping her stay steady. Kazumi smiled at him and thanks before turning to Yozak with a friendly smile.

"I don't blame you, Yozak… Conrart's just a little mad… he'll get over it eventually. You did the right thing." She whispered weakly, and Yozak looked at her in shock.

"But I've been horrible to you since we met… how can you not be mad at me?" Yozak asked, looking honestly puzzled. She smiled weakly, feeling her head beginning to spin again.

"It's alright… I know you were just testing me… after all, you need to make sure you're putting your allegiance in the right Monarch, correct?" She asked him, giving him a small smile. He blinked in shock. He then cleared his throat, leaving the room. Kazumi sighed, letting her head droop as she lost consciousness again.

"What the? She just woke up to tell him that?" Wolfram exclaimed as he caught her head, laying her down and letting her get more sleep.

"Poor thing must've needed to tell him that and shrugged off her condition to make sure he knew." Celly said, smiling sadly.

"I wonder if Yozak and Conrart are talking out there…" Wolfram pondered, sitting down beside his mother, sighing.

* * *

Conrart and Yozak had met up and they were chatting. Yozak was apologizing to Conrart for his latest behavior and telling Conrart that Kazumi had woken up and told him she forgave him.

"She has a big heart, doesn't she?" Conrart asked, smiling when he heard about their talk.

"It honestly surprised me… I was not expecting that at all, for her to encourage and cheer me up when you scolded me…" Yozak stated, smirking from behind Conrart. Conrart turned, smiling fondly at his old friend.

"You dote on her too much anyway, Conrart. If you keep handling her whenever anyone says something or she gets upset or angry, how's she going to be able to deal with it when you're not there?" Yozak asked and Conrart chuckled in response.

"I will always be there though… I would follow Her Majesty to hell and back if she decided to go there" Conrart replied and Yozak blinked at him in shock.

"Okay, but what about when she returns to her world? Do you plan to somehow follow her?" Yozak asked and Conrart thought hard to himself.

"That world is not dangerous nor a place I need to worry about. She will be fine there without me. She was raised there after all. It is quite peaceful, unlike our world." Conrart replied and Yozak chuckled.

"She's a tough kid, isn't she?" Yozak asked as he began walking back inside the boat.

"Everyone knows that except her" Conrart replied, sounding sad at the end.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

When I finally woke up, there was suddenly a commotion in the boat. I sat upright as I saw Morgif lying on the table, groaning tiredly.

"Mother! What did you do to Morgif?" Wolfram exclaimed, seeing the sagged expression Morgif was pulling.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my eyes sleepily. Everyone instantly turned to look at me. They then told me the situation.

"I simply wanted to take a look, just a little look, but then it bit me! I'm afraid that it gave me quite a fright and I dropped him. He lost all his vigor! Do you suppose its because this fell out?" Celly asked, offering me a blue stone. I blinked at it curiously.

"Isn't that the stone from Morgif's head? Wasn't that his power source?" Yozak asked. Conrart nodded.

"Yes, I remember it quite well. It flashed when Morgif began running amuck." Conrart replied. I took the stone from Lady Celly, studying it curiously.

"This stone is Morgif's power source? In that case… Yozak! I entrust you with this stone! Put it somewhere no one could ever find it!" I stated, handing the stone to Yozak. Yozak looked startled.

"Are you sure about this? What if I go sell this to one of the other countries? Or give this to someone other than you?" Yozak questioned. I smiled at him.

"You mean to Gwendal? If that would benefit the Great Demon Kingdom, then do it. On one condition!" I stated. Yozak gave me a questioning look.

"I chose you for the job, do what you see fit, but don't make my choice a mistake!" I replied. Yozak gave me a stern look and I returned it. Finally Yozak smirked and began chuckling as he took the stone, accepting the task I'd given him.

"Thank you, Yozak… I'm glad we've finally come to a mutual understanding. I hated it when we were fighting each other." I replied, walking back to the couch and laying down, feeling myself getting sleepy again.

"Morgif must've taken a lot of strength out of her…" Wolfram muttered, sighing sadly.

When we finally arrived back at Covenant Castle I saw Gunter rushing over to me. He was crying and sobbing. I froze. I turned around and instantly began running.

"Your Majesty! Please wait for me!" Gunter exclaimed. I felt bad for the guy, but I was really not in the mood to be hugged by a blubbering mess. As I continued running for my life, I suddenly tripped and fell into the fountain. I was sucked into the familiar vortex upon impact and was swirling around, suddenly sitting up and coughing. I was back in the girl's bath for our ballet class. I was in the bath in my school uniform. Just as I stood to get out of my clothes, the door opened and some girls came in to take a bath. They spotted me and began giggling.

"You have a bath in your school uniform?" One of them asked me. I felt my face flush. I started to quickly make work of my clothes.

"No! I just tripped before I got to change…" I muttered, stripping myself of my clothes and having another quick soak in the tub.

"I've decided something. I'm going to be a permanent pacifist!" I said to Natsuki as she giggled at me, giving me a thumbs up. If I was going to rule the Great Demon Kingdom, I'd have to do so in a way that others would respect me for after all!


	8. Great Wiseman of Double Black

ANSWER TIME! I will answer questions from reviews here.

Guest – This story will get a lot darker and become M rated a bit later on in the future. This story starts off with a nice introduction, but will get darker and darker as the story progresses, so please bear with me until I get there. I appreciate all of your understanding, guys, it means the world to me when I get nice reviews and I appreciate support, even in the smallest of forms. Thanks again, guys! And now I just want to say one more thing, THERE WILL BE NO SEX SCENES IF THAT'S WHAT READERS ARE LOOKING FOR. IT WILL JUST BE VIOLENCE AND SWEARING. Just wanted to make sure people knew now.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

It was Saturday and my classes for the day had been cancelled due to our teacher being ill. I sat at the table, sighing. What was I going to do with myself for the day? Hisako had heard and come round. She was sitting next to me, trying to cheer me up.

"Come on! Lighten up! It's not very often you get a whole day to yourself! Let's enjoy it while we can!" Hisako exclaimed happily. Suddenly high pitched giggles entered the room and I froze, not game enough to look around. But I did. My mother was standing there, smiling sweetly at us. She wanted something.

"What is it, mum?" I asked and she giggled innocently again.

"Well, I'm going out for a bit, and I was wondering if you two wanted to come with me?" Mom asked, smiling gently at us. I looked at Hisako and she looked just as wary as I did.

"Sure… why not?" I replied as Hisako nodded. Mum suddenly grinned in triumph. She revealed what she was hiding behind her back and we both looked horrified.

"Great! Change into these! I'll help you girls with your hair!" Mom announced, handing clothes to us and shoving us into a room to change. I looked at Hisako and saw the expression of horror on her face. I sighed, quickly changing into the clothes she had handed me and looked in the mirror. Great… Mum was dressing me up in cosplay again. I remembered back to when I was seven and Mum had made me go to an anime convention with her dressed as Princess Serenity and Rini from "Sailor Moon". This time she'd dressed me up as "Will of the Abyss" from "Pandora Hearts". I turned to see what Hisako had been put in and saw she was dressed up as Rorona from "Atelier Totori".

"Kill us now…" Hisako muttered under her breath. Mum suddenly opened the door, smiling in pride at us. She was dressed as Index from "A Certain Magical Index". She then sat Hisako down, doing her hair up. Hisako's hair was already the right colour and length, so she didn't need much done. Mine however, was another story. Mum ended up bleaching my hair completely white and putting in extensions. I looked in the mirror and sighed. Mum really went all out with these things.

* * *

Soon we were being dragged around the convention and through the huge crowd. I'd forgotten this was today. I should've left the house when I had the chance before Mum could snatch us. Hisako was right next to me, fearful of the crowd.

"Alright, I'm going to explore now! You girls have fun!" Miko stated, running off to find her friends who loved this just as much as she did. Hard to believe mum had a hobby besides cleaning and cooking. Hisako and I decided to split, exiting the building and walking through the streets. Lots of people were walking through the streets in cosplay, so we didn't stand out.

"I can't believe Mum dragged us into this again…" I muttered, sighing to myself. Hisako giggled.

"At least she looked happy." Hisako replied, smiling gently. As we walked, we finally approached a small river. I sat down, sighing. Hisako did the same as her hat suddenly flew off her head and into the water.

"My hat!" Hisako exclaimed. Hisako really likes hats, and even though this one was forced on her, she still loved it. I jumped up, wading into the water to retrieve it. As I grabbed the hat, I heard water moving and turned to see she'd waded in with me. Suddenly a vortex grew under us and we were both sucked in. As the water twisted and turned us, we held our breath, trying not to breath in the water.

Finally it all stopped and I was lying on my back in a small fountain. I sat up, sighing to myself when I noticed Hisako lying next to me.

"Hisako?" I asked, glancing at her. She sat up, rubbing her head.

"Ow… that hurt… Where are we?" She asked, looking around before stopping, seeing someone standing at the edge of the fountain. She looked like a priestess of some kind.

"Someone help! These people suddenly appeared in the fountain!" She screamed and I jumped up to my feet.

"Wait! We're not a threat! I promise!" I exclaimed, trying to walk to her but she screamed in fright, backing away.

"She has white hair! She must be some kind of monster!" The priestess exclaimed as female guards suddenly came running out of nowhere and pointing their blades at Hisako and me. Hisako looked terrified, looking at them all. I growled, feeling my anger begin to grow.

"You dare to point blades at me and my best frien!?" I growled at them. They simply glared at me, their blades edging closer to me. I snarled, feeling the anger grow to boiling point.

"You will lower your blades at once!" I yelled, feeling power begin to surge through me. The guard raised her blade, slicing it down at me as my white hair, including the extensions suddenly turned back to black and my hair danced with power.

"Stop! It's Her Highness!" One of the guards called out, but the blade struck, cutting across my arm and sending bolts of pain through me. My power suddenly disappeared instantly and I staggered back, clutching my arm. The guard looked horrified when she realized who I was.

"Kazumi!" Hisako exclaimed, jumping up from the fountain and running to me, supporting me as I staggered.

"I… I didn't… I…" The guard stuttered, looking horrified. I smiled gently, holding my bleeding arm tightly.

"It's alright… you didn't know… quickly, toss your blade away and I can sort this out." I replied, feeling reason return to me. I'd lost all sense of logic when they'd threatened Hisako, but now that she was safe I was returning back to normal.

"Your Majesty!" Gunter exclaimed, running to me and looking shocked when he saw the blood running down my arm and sleeve.

"Who attacked you?" He exclaimed. I giggled.

"It's alright, I did this when I fell into the water and arrived here." I lied. The guard that had actually hit me smiled brightly, looking relieved. Gunter raised a brow and Hisako sighed.

"Kazumi! We need to treat your cut now!" Wolfram exclaimed, appearing with Conrart. Conrart remained silent, just looking worried.

"I'm fine, really… it's only a light cut." I muttered when Hisako bonked me on the head. I yelped in pain, glaring at her.

"What was that for, Hisako?" I whined and Hisako frowned at me.

"You. Arm. Treatment. NOW!" she demanded. I sighed, knowing I wouldn't win this argument.

"Fine… Whatever…" I muttered, walking to Gunter and letting him use some healing magic to close the wound.

"What in the world are you two wearing anyway?" Wolfram questioned, not looking amused at our outfits.

"My mum made us cosplay… you wouldn't understand it even if I explained it to you…" I muttered, seeing them look at Hisako questioningly.

"Guys, this is my best friend Hisako, she's from Earth as well. Hisako, this is Wolfram von Beilefelt, Gunter von Christ, and Conrart Weller." I said, introducing them all to each other. Hisako simply nodded, walking to me and hiding behind me. I sighed in defeat.

"You still insecure?" I asked. Hisako pouted then lightly punched me in the back.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, jumping back from her and frowning at her.

"No need to act like a child about it!" I exclaimed and Hisako grinned, sticking her tongue out at me. I sighed in defeat.

"Why do I even bother?" I pondered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along behind me. I was given a horse of my very own, the same one I rode earlier, and named it Luna. I jumped onto the horse, helping Hisako get on behind me and felt her clinging to my shoulders tightly. We arrived back at the castle and heard a sudden loud crash. I gasped, stopping Luna and jumped off, running into the castle with the others not far behind me. I stopped, looking in horror at the giant cat that was rampaging.

"Since when did cats get this big?" I exclaimed, seeing it turn to look at me. It was about the size of a normal cottage and was pure black with light blue, glowing eyes.

"Don't tell me you can get Demon Cats too!" I asked and Gunter rushed to my side. He stood in front of me, attempting to shield me.

"Your Majesty! Get back! That's a special kind of specie of Demon Cat! It's been angered! It won't stop!" Conrart exclaimed, running with Wolfram and Hisako not far behind. The cat suddenly swiped its paw, hitting Gunter and sending him flying.

"Gunter!" I yelled, looking at where he fell, then glanced up in fear at the giant cat that was right in front of me. It made a growling noise that sounded like a baa, then roared loudly. My hair was blown back from the wind and I froze, looking up at it, terrified.

"Kazumi!" Hisako yelled, running to me and standing in front of me protectively.

"Stop it! Bad kitty!" She yelled, making the cat stop, looking at her in confusion.

"I know, I know it angered you… I understand that… but hurting my friend here isn't going to make it right! Please, just let us help you!" Hisako pleaded, sounding like she could understand it.

"H-Hisako?" I asked, shocked by her sudden behavior. She turned to grin at me.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm completely demon! Both my Mum and Dad are demons of the Earth and I've always been able to understand cats!" She explained and I made a loud exclamation of surprise, falling back onto my backside. I looked up at her, completely lost for words.

"So you're saying… you can understand this Demon Cat?" Gunter asked, looking amazed. Hisako shrugged her shoulders.

"I've always been able to understand them, it just come naturally to me. I'm not really sure why…" Hisako explained, turning to face the cat. She smiled gently at it.

"You're just trying to protect your young, aren't you? We understand that… Those soldiers didn't know about your litter, if they had, they never would have done such a thing." Hisako stated. I blinked in shock, realizing the cat was a girl.

"This demon cat is a girl?" Gunter asked.

"Better yet, it's a mother?" Conrart asked, appearing by my side and helping me stand. I accepted his hand gratefully, and then froze, blinking. I could faintly hear a high-pitched baa noise. I let my ears lead me as I slowly walked towards the noise, seeing some knocked over debris. I lifted up the piece of iron that was used on the roof and four little fluffy kittens scattered out, running to the giant cat. I watched them happily, a bright smile on my face at how cute they were, then bent down, checking to see if any others were trapped.

"Hisako, is that all of her litter?" I asked and Hisako turned to look at the cat. She then looked back at me and nodded. I lowered the metal, walking to the two of them. The mother cat had returned to normal size and was purring against Hisako's leg.

"It really likes you Hisako." I stated, giggling a little.

"I don't believe this… it's imprinted on her." Wolfram muttered. I blinked at him in confusion as Hisako did the same.

"Imprinted? What do you mean?" I asked. Wolfram sighed in annoyance.

"You know the saying that 'people don't choose their cat, the cat chooses them'? It's kind of like that. Cats only have one living person they become attached to here, and they know as soon as they see them. You can tell because they'll come up to you and rub your legs, things like that cat there is doing to your friend." Wolfram explained.

"Anyway, these kittens look almost ready to leave their mother. Hisako? Seen as she's yours now, you should think about naming her." Conrart suggested. Hisako looked puzzled, then thought really hard to herself.

"Ah! Azure! How do you like your new name, Azure?" Hisako asked the kitty, kneeling down to smile at the cat. Azure looked up at her and made a happy baa noise at her. Hisako giggled, picking her up and cuddling her tightly. The kittens all called around her feet. That was when I noticed there was only three. I looked down to see a fluffy snow-white kitten clawing at my leg, trying to get my attention. Its eyes were a bright blue, just like its mother. My heart instantly melted and I rushed down, picking up the kitten and cuddled it close. It baaed at me happily, purring against my neck and chest as I giggled, kissing the top of its head.

"Hello there… are you a boy or a girl little one?" I asked it and it baaed at me again.

"It's a girl. Kind of convenient isn't it? Having this skill?" Hisako asked and I nodded, smiling warmly at the kitten in my arms.

"Now, what to name you… What about… Snow? Ah! I know! Seraphina! Do you like that name?" I asked the kitten and it baaed happily, licking my cheek as I burst into giggles.

"She seems to like her new name, Your Majesty." Conrart replied, smiling at the sight of me holding the adorable kitten in my arms.

"I would gladly become a kitten if it meant I could have the honor of being named by Her Highness!" Gunter exclaimed.

"Just what is going on here?" Exclaimed an angry voice and we all turned to see Gwendal standing there, his eye brows twitching and he was covered in soot and ash. I refrained my smiling.

"Wow, Gwendal! What happened to you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"That one should be obvious…" Wolfram muttered as Gwendal stormed down the stairs, stomping towards me and stopped, blinking in shock as he looked down at the fluffy kitten in my arms. His eyebrow twitched as I saw a faint blush on his face forming. I raised a brow.

"Gwendal? You alright there?" I asked when Wolfram began laughing.

"Wolfram? What's up?" I asked. Wolfram pointed by my feet and I glanced down to see another kitten. This one was black with white spots on it with gold eyes. It was trying to claw at the material on Gwendal's robes. I felt a smile forming as I refrained from giggling.

"I think someone chose you as their master, Gwendal" I hinted, glancing down as he did the same, blinking in shock, then knelt, scooping the kitten into his arms. It sat there happily, purring.

"I don't believe this, three imprintings in one day?" Conrart asked, absolutely amazed. Suddenly, Anissina appeared, breathing heavily as she raced down to us, heading for Gwendal when she stopped, noticing the kitten in his arms. She blinked in shock, then began chuckling to herself.

"You have a kitten? What's his name?" Anissina asked. Gwendal glanced down at the kitten.

"Nero… His name is Nero" Gwendal explained, smiling slightly in pride. I giggled in response, seeing a kitten run to Anissina, jumping and clinging to the bottom of her dress. She glanced down in surprise, seeing a white kitten with brown markings on it with gold eyes. The kitten baaed at her, trying to climb up. Anissina smiled gently, picking up the kitten.

"Well hello there, Shira, shall we go back to the lab? I no longer need Gwendal anymore." Anissina stated, walking off. I blinked in horror, sighing.

"Goodbye, Shira, you will forever be missed… your sacrifice will never be forgotten." I muttered, suddenly feeling so sorry for that cat.

"Of all the people, why'd she have to pick Anissina?" Wolfram pondered, looking a little sad.

"Its okay, guys… Shira knew what she was doing. Anissina isn't actually going to use her in any experiments, so relax a little." Hisako explained, stepping forward to me. I smiled at her then remembered we were in the Great Demon Kingdom and she wasn't freaking out.

"Oh, Hisako! I've got another question for you… This is your first time here, right? Why aren't you freaking out like a normal person would? Mind you, you were never normal to begin with…" I asked, muttering that last bit. Hisako merely giggled at me.

"I'm also the Double Black Great Wiseman!" Hisako stated and I yelped in fright, jumping back and falling on my backside, clutching Seraphina tightly. I blinked in shock and horror as the others all stood there, blinking at her in disbelief.

"W-Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I exclaimed, shaking from how much shock I was in. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What would have been the point? I'm only half of the Double Black Great Wiseman. The other half of my soul is out there somewhere. Somehow before this life, we ended up getting split and separated, so there wasn't much point in me telling you. I'm the half of the soul that isn't as smart, cause in one of my lives I got dropped on my head as an infant, so I received a little brain damage." Hisako explained. It took a while for it all to sink in.

"S-So… You're the Double Black Great Wiseman? Well, half of him? Who's the other half then?" I asked, having Conrart help me back to my feet after he'd recovered from his shock. Hisako's glasses shone brightly and she frowned.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure… but I have a pretty good idea I know who it is… I think it's your brother's good friend, Ken Murata." Hisako answered and I felt my jaw drop.

"Y-You're kidding, right!? You mean I've known both of the Double Black Great Wiseman for most of my life?" I exclaimed and Hisako giggled, wearing her usual goofy smile.

"Yep! Gotta learn to live with it!" Hisako taunted, sticking out her tongue at me.

* * *

When night came, the castle was alit with lights, fancy music. and couples from all across the kingdom dancing. Gunter had insisted on holding a celebration for my having returned and finding the Double Black Great Wiseman. And that last small black kitten? It'd taken a liking to Lasagna, one of the maids in the castle. She'd named it Amaranth, and she seemed quite happy with her new name.

Lady Celi had dressed us up for the occasion and Wolfram had done our hair and make-up. Hisako's brown hair had been curled a little and tied up in a ponytail. She wore light blue make-up and a spectrum blue, strapless dress with long gloves of the same colour. She wore a silver choker with a blue gem in the middle. I was in a black dress, as I should've expected, that had sleeves all the way down to my wrists. My hair had been left long, just brushed a little, and I had grey make-up on my face. I was wearing some Prussian blue diamond earrings that Conrart had given me as a small gift earlier and a small necklace with a red stone on it.

Lady Celi made us enter the party at the same time and I saw the look of disgust on Hisako's face. She really hated these sorts of events. I didn't really blame her, these sorts of things weren't for me either, but I had no choice. As we walked down the stairs to the main floor of the dance party, all eyes were on us. My nerves shot in like stone as even the music stopped and all eyes followed our decent down the stairs. Hisako gripped my hand tighter and I subconsciously winced, feeling a light sting run through my hand. She must've really been nervous.

When we reached the foot of the stairs, we let go of each other's hands as Wolfram, Gwendal and Conrart approached us with Gunter following behind the rear.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you Her Highness, Queen Kazumi Shibuya! And may I also present to you Her Holiness, The Great Wiseman of Double Black, Hisako Kururugi!" Gunter announced to the crowd as it burst into cheers and screams of joy. I suddenly felt something nuzzle at my legs and I looked down to see Seraphina rubbing against my dress. I knelt down, picking her up and cuddled her in my arms. She purred contently, looking like she was smiling at me as her tail flickered back and forth happily. I turned to see Hisako's eye twitching.

"Get me out of here…" She muttered to herself and we heard Wolfram chuckling.

"You should've thought about that before you arrived in our world." Wolfram stated, sounding a little smug. As Hisako began walking past him, she bonked him on the top of the head, earning a startled look from Wolfram as she continued walking past. I giggled, placing Seraphina back down and walked to him.

"I think she likes you Wolfram." I teased, seeing him pout to himself.

"That would be quite a sight to see." Gwendal teased, smirking a little. Conrart tapped my shoulder, offering me his hand. I smiled gently, taking his hand as he led me a little way away, then began dancing with me through the crowd of people. I noticed he looked so happy as we were dancing. When the song ended, I parted ways with him, entering the crowd of people who came up, chatting with me.

"Your Majesty, can I offer you a drink? It's water." A handsome looking man asked as he approached me, offering me a glass of water. He held one himself and I took it gratefully, drinking to my heart's content. I chatted with the man for a little until my head began to spin a little. I decided the room was a little stuffy and exited the hall, walking through the courtyard of the castle. I suddenly heard a distressed baa noise.

"Seraphina?" I asked, following the call as I turned a corner, seeing Seraphina trapped under a wooden crate. I lifted the crate off her, and then turned to see some noble looking men behind me.

"There you are, Your Highness! You suddenly left the dance; I was worried…" One of them stated, looking at me worriedly. My vision began to blur and I swayed a little. I saw one of the men smirk.

"Are you alright? You look ill, Your Majesty." The other man said as I tried to pull back from them. Seraphina hissed in my arms, trying to protect me, but I knew she'd be no match for them. I clutched her tightly, trying to calm her.

"Get help, Seraphina…" I muttered, turning and quickly tossing her a few meters away. She landed on her feet, glanced back as me as the men suddenly grabbed me, trying to restrain me. She then took off towards the hall where the ball was being held. It didn't take much to restrain me; I was already really weak and could feel my consciousness fading.

"Help… me…" I muttered as one of the men hoisted me over their shoulder, and then took off with the other man. My necklace had fallen off in the struggle, landing with a clunk on the ground. Good, that should be enough proof to show them I'd been taken.

"I'm surprised the poison took so long to take effect. We should tell Stoffel to increase it. Let's see her suffer in misery as she dies of illness!" One of the men said to the other as he chuckled, agreeing. My vision failed me as my world went black.


	9. Poison

**Normal POV**

Seraphina ran up the stairs, being careful to avoid any of the men that had kidnapped her mistress, running into the field of people dancing. She looked around, panic stricken and rushed to a familiar person. It was the man she sensed her mistress held the most trust in. When she reached his legs, she began patting at his leg, _baaing_ to get his attention. Conrart looked down from his glass, seeing Seraphina looking distraught. He knelt to her, patting her head when she _baaed_ at him again.

"What?" Exclaimed Hisako as she dropped her glass. She'd been standing nearby Conrart, teasing Wolfram a little when she'd heard Seraphina's cries. Her glass fell to the ground and shattered, getting everyone's attention. She dashed forward, kneeling in front of Seraphina, looking horrified.

"When did this happen?" She exclaimed and Seraphina _baaed_ at her again. Hisako's eyes widened as she stood, dashing for the stairs.

"Hisako? What's going on?" Wolfram asked as the crowd remained silent. Hisako stopped at the stairs, turning back to look at everyone.

"Kazumi's been kidnapped by Stoffel!" She replied and everyone froze in horror. Next thing anyone knew, Conrart and Wolfram were running behind Hisako who was following Seraphina and they were at the spot where Kazumi had been grabbed. Hisako stopped, looking out towards the gate, realizing they'd gotten away.

"Damn it!" Hisako cursed, hitting Wolfram's arm in anger. Wolfram yelped, holding his arm tightly in pain. He glared at her.

"What was that for?" Wolfram exclaimed and Hisako sighed angrily.

"I can't hit the wall, that's too boring" Hisako replied, smirking at him as they got into a little argument. Conrart stopped shortly behind her, noticing the abandoned necklace and picking it up. His expression softened and he clenched it tightly in his hand.

"Kazumi…" He muttered under his breath, glancing out at the gate.

"How did they even get her anyway? Security was really tight tonight" Wolfram wondered, glancing to Conrart for answers.

"I'm not sure… the most likely cause is some form of drug or poison… but even so, she put up a fight… I just know it… She won't last much longer; we have to save her. Otherwise she'll get hurt… She won't bend to Stoffel's will, no matter how much he tries to break her." Conrart replied, gaining their attention entirely.

"It seems we have no choice but to declare war on Stoffel… this proves that he's a traitor and must be dealt with accordingly." Gwendal stated, suddenly appearing by them. Conrart glanced at him, eyes widening in horror.

"No, Gwendal! If you declare war on Stoffel it could result in Kazumi getting injured!" Conrart pleaded, lightly grabbing the material of his robes as he pleaded with his eyes for Gwendal to see reason. Gwendal remained as stern as ever.

"You really care about the kid, don't you? She should be fine, but unfortunately it's a risk we're going to have to take. Stoffel won't listen to orders, and like you said, we can't just leave her there either…" Gwendal stated and Conrart let him go slowly, realizing Gwendal would never bow from his choice. Conrart growled, turning and taking off.

"Let me try and sneak in first to get her out of there!" Conrart yelled over his shoulder as he ran towards the horses.

"Lord Weller!" Wolfram yelled, sounding worried about his brother.

"Wolfram, follow him! We don't need two hostages in Stoffel's hands." Gwendal stated and Wolfram glanced at him before taking off after Conrart. Hisako watched them leave worriedly, then stepped closer to Gwendal.

"I understand your difficult choice, and I believe you made the right choice, Gwendal." Hisako stated, sounding deadly serious for the first time since she arrived there. Gwendal glanced down at her when he realized her other side was a fake personality, just an act.

"I just pray we save her in time…" Hisako muttered and Gwendal nodded in response.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

When I finally awoke, I felt sluggish and my head was killing me. I remembered how the men had grabbed me and I shot up, suddenly regretting it and feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. I saw the ground rush up to greet me as I fell off the couch I'd been lying on and hit the floor hard. I tried to pull myself up onto my hands and knees but I was just too dizzy. My stomach was tight in a knot too and I knew it wouldn't be long until I ended up being sick. Nausea washed over me as I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to refrain from throwing up. The door opened and I looked up to see Stoffel and his attendant, Raven, enter the room.

"Hello, I'm glad to see you're finally awake, Your Majesty." Stoffel greeted, standing there and smirking down at me. Raven looked a little sadder and walked to me, helping me back up onto the couch.

"I… need to go back… I…" I managed to croak out, my voice sounding horrible. Raven gave me a sympathetic look, patting my head gently. He looked shocked for a second and then turned to look at Stoffel.

"Sire, she has a terrible fever… just what did you order those men to give her?" Raven questioned, looking at Stoffel in disbelief.

"Just some poison only I have the cure for… it will slowly kill her unless she agrees to make me Regent to the throne." Stoffel stated and I growled weakly.

"Yeah right… never… I'd rather die than make you in charge of this country in my stead… Not with what you're doing…" I hissed, seeing Raven look at me worriedly, fearful for my safety as Stoffel growled in anger.

"Fine then! Maybe the dungeons will change your mind!" Stoffel growled as Raven shot up, grabbing his sleeve.

"Please, sire! Not the dungeon, she'll die! Just let her rest a little here and maybe she'll change her mind?" Raven pleaded and Stoffel calmed down, believing his words and retreating from the room.

"Raven, we need to go make plans in case they attack." Stoffel stated, exiting the room and closing the door. He must've trusted Raven completely to have left him alone here with me, but when Raven turned back to look at me, I saw pity and sorrow on his face.

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty… Stoffel has committed an unforgivable act, but I beg of you, do not take his life as punishment, please, Your Highness!" Raven pleaded and I smiled gently, offering him my shaky hand. He knelt down, taking it in his as he held it tightly, shaking with sorrow.

"I tried to get him not to do this… I really did try… he just wants his old position back… I know it would be horrible to allow him back into such a position of power, probably lead us into another war with the humans, but I cannot leave his side. Please understand my position." Raven pleaded. I smiled gently, feeling waves of sleepiness washing over me again.

"Raven… Please… listen to me… I have a plan… Try and get the antidote off Stoffel… Then please help me escape… Once I'm back with the others, I promise I will make sure no harm comes to Stoffel…" I suggested and Raven smiled brightly, nodding. He kissed the back of my hand to seal the promise. He then patted my head gently, leaving a bowl for me to throw up in. I smiled thankfully at him, watching him leave. It felt reassuring to know that at least someone cared about me here. I felt a sudden wave of nausea wash over me as I shakily reached for the bowl, throwing up painfully into it. I hadn't eaten anything before the party or during it, so my stomach was empty.

When I'd recovered enough to open my eyes, I saw the bowl had traces of blood in it. I froze, feeling terror in my veins as I realized I was puking blood. I wiped my mouth, looking down at the trace of blood on it, and tried not to hyperventilate. I stood shakily, feeling my panic give me some strength. I rushed for the door, jiggling the handle to find it locked on the outside.

"Someone… help me… please…" I pleaded quietly, gently knocking on the door. Suddenly the door opened and a butch looking maid with bright orange hair opened the door.

"Knock knock! I'm here to clean your chambers, Your Majesty!" she, or should I say, _he_, said in a high-pitched voice.

"Yozak! You don't know how happy I am to see you!" I cried out in joy, hugging him tightly. He looked startled and then held my shoulders gently.

"What's got you so worked up?" He asked and I looked up at him, breathing heavily as the adrenaline wore off and my illness returned with a vengeance.

"I've… been poisoned… only Stoffel has the antidote… Raven's gone to get it off him… and help me escape." I whispered, feeling my legs shake as they tried to give out on me. Yozak dropped his bucket and mop, grabbing me tightly to stop me from collapsing.

"Poison?" He exclaimed, looking horrified.

"I infiltrated Stoffel's castle to spy on him, but I never imagined he'd do something quite like this! Shall I go kill him, Your Majesty, and get the antidote? It's too risky to wait for Raven." Yozak offered but I shook my head.

"No… In return for getting me the antidote and helping me escape… I promised Raven I would not allow Stoffel to be harmed." I replied and Yozak looked horrified.

"No harm to Stoffel? Are you insane? He's killing you as we speak, and you refuse to even hurt him a little?" Yozak exclaimed, trying to get me to see reason. I frowned weakly at him, trying not to speak much in case of throwing up again.

"I can't… speak more… or I'll… vomit blood again…" I muttered, feeling my eyes growing heavy. Yozak looked horrified as he suddenly laid me down, pulling out a maid dress from his bucket, along with a brown wig.

"I know you're not feeling well, but please, change into this ,Your Majesty." Yozak asked, sitting me up and awkwardly helping me into it. He then grabbed the bucket and mop and hoisted my arm over his shoulder. He helped me out the room and down the hall. Soldiers ran past us and didn't even notice.

"You there, what happened to that maid?" asked a soldier and Yozak smiled kindly at the man.

"She was cleaning the balcony when she fell. I'm just helping her to the first aid room. Please excuse us." Yozak lied, helping me through the halls as we suddenly spotted Raven. He exited with Stoffel and spotted us. Stoffel just walked past, not even caring. Raven stopped by us, letting Stoffel go ahead.

Raven subtly bent down and whispered, "I haven't been able to get the antidote yet… I'm so sorry…" He then straightened his back and turned to Yozak. "Yozak, please take care of her until I can get the antidote to you. She will grow weaker every minute… I just pray I get it to you before your heart stops beating." He looked back at me. "I must go now to Stoffel before the civil war starts over your disappearance, Your Majesty." Raven reported, walking past and patting Yozak's shoulder supportively. I watched him leave, then let my head hang weakly.

"How did it come to this?" I asked Yozak. He gave me a sympathetic look, patting my back gently.

"Cheer up, Your Majesty. You need to keep your hopes up if you're going to survive this." Yozak stated, helping me continue walking. Eventually, after a few hundred meters, my legs gave up and Yozak was carrying me more than helping me, my feet dragging on the ground.

"You, there! Return her Majesty to her chambers at once!" Shouted a soldier that had figured us out. We both glanced behind us to see the soldier with a group behind him. They all pointed their spears at us. I felt my breath catch in my throat as they got closer.

"Ah crap!" Yozak exclaimed, tossing me to the ground suddenly as he faced them, pulling a sword out from the handle of his broom. I managed to push myself up on my elbows, watching him. Where the hell had he thought to hide a sword there?

"Your Majesty! I know you're weak and losing your ability to walk, but please, you must get out of here, now!" Yozak declared, fending off the soldiers. I struggled to my feet, urging them to respond to my will as I began running through the hall. I was staggering a lot, hitting the wall with my arms as I held them out to brace myself in case I fell.

"Just keep running! No matter what! Just run!" Yozak shouted, continuing to fight the soldiers. I kept running till I heard soldiers cry out in pain.

"Where is Her Highness?" Snarled a familiar voice and I felt all the adrenaline and worry disappear instantly. I turned the corner, stumbling and bracing myself on the wall.

"Conrart! And Wolfram too!" I stated happily. My face was pale, deathly pale, and clammy. Conrart heard my voice, glancing up at me from the fallen soldier. His relief was really obvious. He dashed forward, dropping his sword to the ground as he suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. My breath caught in a gasp as my face was buried in his chest. What the?

"Lord Weller! We need to get out of here!" Wolfram announced, grabbing his sword and offering it back to Conrart. Conrart let me go, turning to face Wolfram and accepting his sword back.

"I'm so glad… you guys are here…" I managed to say before I fell to my knees, hacking and coughing violently. I covered my mouth with my hand as I felt the blood spread on it. Blood trickled down my chin, dripping on the floor, catching their attention.

"Kazumi! Are you injured?" Wolfram asked me, sounding worried. I shook my head weakly.

"Poison… only Stoffel has the antidote… Raven's gone to get it, in return for my promise for no harm… to befall Stoffel" I replied, feeling my eyes begin to grow heavy. Conrart gasped, holding me steady and kneeling beside me, letting me rest my head on his chest. My breathing had become heavy and irregular.

"So glad… You guys came for me…" I whispered, feeling my eyes slowly close. Conrart looking horrified as he gently wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly against him.

"Kazumi! You can't sleep! Keep fighting! You'll die if you close your eyes!" Wolfram pleaded, falling to his knees by us and gently shook my shoulders, but it wasn't enough to keep me awake.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Footsteps alerted Wolfram and Conrart as they looked up and saw Raven running towards their direction in the hall.

"Lord Weller! Lord von Bielefelt! Thank goodness you two have Her Highness! I have the antidote! Is she still alright?" Raven called out, kneeling in front of them and pulling the cork off a vial of red fluid. He held it out to her with shaky hands but froze when he realized that she was unconscious and some blood was trickling down her chin still. His eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no… please don't let it be too late!" He pleaded. Conrart frowned, grabbing the vial and tried to pour some down her throat, but it was too awkward. Her mouth refused to open wide enough and most of the antidote would go to waste. Conrart sighed, glancing up at Wolfram and Raven.

"Please don't tell Her Highness about this… I'm going to have to feed this to her…" Conrart pleaded them, raising the vial to his own lips, putting the antidote in his mouth, then lowered his lips onto hers, kissing her. During the kiss he parted her lips with his and let the antidote go down her throat. Once it was gone, he pulled away, sighing in relief.

"She swallowed it… When will it start taking effect?" Conrart asked, looking at Raven and ignoring the blushing Wolfram.

"It should start having an effect in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. I'm glad she'll be alright… now we need to stop Stoffel!" Raven stated, standing as Wolfram did the same. Conrart shifted Kazumi's position in his arms and stood, carrying her while cradling her close.

"Let's go!" Wolfram stated and they all rushed out the castle.

"I'm not sure if you two already know, but Lord Gwendal von Voltaire and Gunter von Christ have approached the edge of the castle, about to engage in the war!" Raven informed the two as they all approached horses, jumping on and riding to the battle.

"Must we really try and save Lord Stoffel?" Wolfram asked and Conrart gave him a serious look.

"Her Highness promised this, she won't go back on her word." Conrart replied and Wolfram pouted. Kazumi was tucked in tightly against Conrart's chest and arms so she wouldn't fall. When they approached the battlefield, the field was split clearly into two sides.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

I felt my eyes slowly starting to open as I weakly looked at them all. I gasped suddenly, my conscious flooding back into me as I bolted up into a sitting position, completely alert. I must've startled Conrart since he jumped, looking down at me in confusion.

"Kazumi? What's wrong?" He asked, sounding alert. I turned to look back at him, then flashed him an apologetic look. I grabbed his sword out of its sheath suddenly and jumped off the horse, landing shakily and then began running ahead into the open field.

"Gunter! Gwendal! Stop this now! I'm right here! I'm safe now! Put your weapons away! And you, Stoffel! I've got a few words I'd like to say to you!" I yelled over the field, turning to glare at Stoffel. He looked startled to see me there, then began fumbling around his clothes for the missing antidote.

"Looking for your antidote to the poison you drugged me with? Too late! Now, men, put your blades down immediately! You will listen to your Demon Queen!" I commanded, beginning to walk up to where Stoffel was. He jumped off his horse, unsheathing his sword and my eyes widened, not expecting him to retaliate with that.

"You will not disrespect me, elder brother of the former Demon Queen, any longer!" Stoffel stated, running at me. I frowned, holding the blade and protecting myself from his attacks. He struck back and forth in a normal rhythm. I was beginning to see his movements, he didn't mix it up at all. When he came for the high strike, I turned my blade, twirling suddenly and knocking his blade from his hand entirely. It fell to the ground and I kicked it away.

"Surrender now, Stoffel… Do not make me use my magic, you will regret it" I said, pointing my blade at him. He merely smirked up at me.

"You're looking very pale, Your Majesty. You haven't completely recovered yet, have you?" He asked, taunting me as my eyes widened, refraining from striking him.

"You will hold your tongue in the presence of your Demon Queen. I will not tolerate any more of your actions. Raven has promised me that in return for giving me the antidote, I spare your life… You should go on your knees and thank him for being so merciful" I stated, growling at him. He gasped, looking by where Conrart and Wolfram were, looking horrified to see Raven there as well.

"Raven! How could you betray me?" Stoffel snarled and Raven flinched. I snarled, turning my blade and hitting him across the head with the hilt of the sword.

"Are you blind? Can you not see that he has saved your life, not betrayed you!? He cares for you more than anyone else here! He agreed to be sneaky in order to save you from hurting yourself! Open your eyes!" I yelled loudly, glaring dangerously at him. Stoffel looked up at me, looking shocked as he held the part of his head I'd hit.

"It's true, sire… I only wished to make sure you were not harmed, so I could continue to keep my promise to your sister Lady Celi. I only wish to see you unharmed and see her happy." Raven called out, adding to my case.

"Oh, Raven!" called out a female voice and I turned to see Lady Celi jump off her horse and run to where Raven was. Raven jumped off his horse, smiling gently as Lady Celi ran to him, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest. He hugged her back gently and I felt myself smiling kindly at them. They had been in love with each other for a long time, I could tell. I could sense a wedding coming soon.

"I… don't believe this… My sister is in love with Raven? When did this happen? And why did I not see it?" Stoffel asked to himself. I glanced down at him in pity.

"You have been obsessed with power and ruling the country for so long that you became blind to anything that would truly make you happy, such as love and the happiness of others. You became blind to other people's feelings and the voice of reason… That is why, Lord Stoffel von Spitzweg, I sentence you to house arrest until you can prove that you are fit again to rule the Spitzweg lands. Your area will fall into my rule until I deem you worthy. Raven will give me monthly updates on your progress." I stated, smiling down at Raven who was still holding Lady Celi tightly. He glanced up at me and smiled gratefully back at me.

"When you get the chance, you really should apologize to Raven and thank him; he saved you from yourself." I stated, lowering my sword and turning my back to him, walking down the hill to where Raven and Lady Celi were. Stoffel continued to look shocked as Gunter appeared beside him, helping him up and leading him away back to Castle Spitzweg.

"Thank you, Your Highness… you have kept your promise as I have mine." Raven thanked, smiling gratefully.

"No need to thank me, I just wanted to make sure my promise didn't turn into a lie… Anyway, you two look happy together!" I stated and Raven looked at Lady Celi who was hugging his arm tightly, giggling at him, then smiled back at me.

"Will you give us your grace?" Raven asked and I smiled gently at them.

"I would be honored… I wish this couple happiness in all that they decide to pursue and their future together. May they receive the grace and loving smile of the Great One to watch over them for the rest of their lives, for however long they shall live." I pleaded, pointing to the two of them. Lady Celi sounded impressed and began clapping as Raven smiled thankfully.

"Very nice little speech, and I can't believe you managed to end that without any of the soldiers raising their blades." Hisako stated, appearing behind me. Turns out she'd been on the horse behind Gwendal and had snuck up on me when I hadn't expected it.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Hisako!" I yelped in fright, glaring at her. She smiled, opening her bag she had with her and a white kitten jumped out, walking to me happily.

"Seraphina!" I exclaimed, kneeling down and scooping her up into my arms. I giggled, cuddling her tightly as she licked my cheek happily with her rough tongue.

"You won't believe how happy she is to see you… She was so worried while you were gone, she literally wouldn't shut up!" Hisako stated and I smiled, looking down at her and kissed her forehead. She _baaed_ at me, purring against my neck.

"Wow, you and that cat really get along well, don't you?" Conrart asked, approaching us. I looked up at him happily, feeling this was finally over.

"Let's go home, shall we?" Hisako asked me and I nodded, giggling happily.

"Yes, let's go home" I stated, walking away with them back to Covenant Castle, feeling so happy.


	10. In This Quiet Night

**Normal POV**

_Lightning flashed as Kazumi's still, cold body lay on the ground. The wind began to pick up a little and the sky darkened in what looked like fury. Conrart glanced up, gasping as he then glanced down at her body in horror. She was wearing the maid clothes Yozak had dressed her up in to escape Stoffel's castle. Her skin was ghostly pale and she was completely still, her chest not even moving to show signs of life. There were a few small trickles of blood down her chin. Her eyes remained closed tight and the wind gently blew her hair and clothes._

_"K-Kazumi…" Conrart whispered under his breath, feeling his knees shaking. Distraught ran through him as he tried to regulate his breathing. Suddenly her eyes opened and she sat up. Her eyes were dull and lifeless. She sat up, looking at him as she stood, her expression unreadable._

_"Why… Why didn't you protect me, Conrart? You promised you'd protect me… Why couldn't you save me?" her voice pleaded lifelessly. Conrart gasped, looking stricken with grief._

_"Kazumi! I… I didn't!" Conrart stuttered, sweat rolling down his face. Her body began to reach its hand out to him, trying to grab him. However a second later, there was a flash of lightning, and she was nothing but a skeleton, reaching for him._

_"Why Conrart?"_ She asked as Conrart gasped, yelling in shock as he bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily and covered in sweat.

Conrart rubbed his face with his hand, trying to wake himself up a bit. He removed his covers, standing and walking briskly out his room, heading down the hall. He opened the door to Kazumi's room, stepping in slowly so he wouldn't wake her and stood by her bedside. He smiled gently, seeing her sleeping like a baby, curled up in her blanket with a small smile on her face.

"Just a dream… it was just… a bad dream…" He whispered to himself, trying to calm himself down. He then blinked in shock when he noticed her squirming a little. Her smile had vanished and she was gritting her teeth. She tossed her head around, in the middle of a nightmare. She squirmed a little before bolting upright, covering her mouth to hold back a scream. She then saw Conrart in the corner of her eye and jumped away in shock, falling off the bed. She let out a small yelp as she hit the floor, grimacing in pain. Conrart chuckled, walking around the bed and helping her stand.

"What the heck? Why are you in my room, Conrart?" She whispered, trying to be quiet as she heard Seraphina grumble in her sleep, rolling over. Conrart smiled gently at her.

"I uh… had a bad dream… and I needed to confirm… that you were still alive…" Conrart replied, looking down sadly. She blinked at him and slowly raised her arm, gently placing her hand on his cheek. He looked startled, but he didn't pull away. She gave him a gentle smile.

"Is this proof enough?" She asked and Conrart's cheeks flushed pink a little for some reason. He smiled, holding her hand gently in his as he lowered it down.

"Yes. This is all the proof I need." Conrart answered, chuckling.

"Now, tell me about your nightmare, okay?" He asked and she giggled, removing her hand from his and walking to the window leading to her balcony. She threw the glass doors open and let the night breeze enter the room. She turned to look at Conrart, looking sad.

"I… I dreamt that you were killed in battle… protecting me…" She stated, seeing Conrart look shocked.

"I died in battle?" He asked and she looked down at her bare feet before she looked up at him in determination.

"Promise me, Conrart! Promise me you'll never be killed in battle! You can't leave me here on my own! You're my good friend and I can't lose you!" She demanded and Conrart looked startled by her sudden request. He then smiled at her, smirking.

"I promise you, Your Majesty, that I, Conrart Weller, will never die in battle and leave you to manage the kingdom by yourself." Conrart promised, walking to her and kneeling in front of her, bowing his head down. She smiled gently, seeing him raise his head, smiling at her.

"Are you feeling better, Your Highness?" Conrart asked and she nodded in response. She then turned, looking out over the balcony. The cool breeze felt great and my long nightgown fluttered around gently.

"Conrart? Can we go into the courtyard? I don't think I'm going to get to sleep again… I'll just be in a crabby mood if I get a little amount of sleep before sunrise…" She asked, glancing at him. He smiled, nodding.

"Of course, let's go then." Conrart replied, standing and opening the bedroom door, allowing her to walk out, then accompanied her to the courtyard. When they got there, she gasped in delight. The flowers seemed to sparkle brilliantly in the moonlight. She jogged towards then, kneeling in front of the flower garden.

"So beautiful!" She exclaimed, watching them glimmer and shine under the moonlight. Conrart slowly walked behind her, looking at the flowers himself.

"Mother likes breeding flowers. She made them after herself and her children. That yellow one is called 'Beautiful Wolfram'; that red one is 'Celi's Red Sigh'; that one is 'Secret Gwendal'; and that one is 'Conrart Standing Tall'. Mother is even making a flower for you. That's the prototype so far, she's called it Wondrous Kazumi." Conrart explained and she burst into giggles.

"She names them well" She stated, looking up at him, smiling brightly. He smiled back down at her but gave her a confused look when she began picking some flowers. She picked a couple of each type and began weaving them together to form a flower crown.

"Your Majesty? What're you doing?" Conrart asked when she smiled at him in triumph, showing him the crown of flowers she made.

"Ta da! I made you a flower crown! Just for you!" She declared and he looked taken aback.

"W-What? Your Highness, no one in this castle can wear a crown but you." Conrart stated, backing away a step. She pouted, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him down, placing the flower crown on his head. She then let him go. He stood back up, looking up as the flower crown sat in position. She giggled, smiling brightly at him as the wind blew gently. The moonlight made everything shimmer gently, making it seem like a fairytale. He looked hesitant for a second until a small smile formed on his face. He smiled gently back down at her, then knelt down, picking a blue flower. She remembered he's said that one was named after him. He stood back up, placing the flower in her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She blushed a little at the touch, not used to people touching around near her ear still. She did the same when Wolfram had brushed and done her hair before as well, so it was nothing new.

"There, the blue goes nicely with your blue nightgown, Your Majesty." Conrart stated, his eyes seeming to shimmer under the moonlight. She felt the smile tug at her lips, forcing it to grow brighter.

"Thank you!" She replied, giggling slightly. Conrart glanced out over the flowers, his eyes looked so sad. He was remembering something painful from his past. She felt her heart break when she saw the sad look on his face.

"Conrart?" She asked, seeing him turn back to look at her. His expression looked miserable and lonely. His eyes shimmered with a thin layer of tears about to exit. She stepped closer to him, gently placing a hand on his arm. She tilted her head when she looked up at his face.

"Is it painful? Those memories you hold? My mum always says that telling people what pains you can sometimes make it seem less painful… I'm willing to carry some of the burden your memories hold for you, if you wish to tell me." She offered, seeing him smile sadly.

"I was just remembering when Julia did something similar to this… And I just remembered how much I actually miss her…" Conrart replied. She remained silent, knowing this would be hard for him. Julia was like a best friend to him, not judging him for his origins at all like the other demons did. Suddenly Conrart caught my attention as he began recapping his painful memories to her.

_**Flashback**_

_Conrart walked briskly by Lady Celi's side as she led him to the von Wincott household. Conrart was dressed in his military uniform and his hair went down to his chin._

_"Now Conrart darling, please, try and lose the frown. Loosen up; you're beginning to look like Gwendal." Celi stated, cupping his chin in her hand gently before turning back to the door. The door was opened by a servant and the two of them walked in. Conrart and Celi was greeted by a man with long white hair and beautiful light blue eyes. He smiled brightly when he saw the two of them enter, then walked to Lady Celi._

_"Your Majesty, it is an honor to see you again. How are you holding up?" Asked the man and Lady Celi giggled in response._

_"It has been too long Odile, I am doing great! How about you?" Celi replied, taking his hand in hers and shaking it gently. Odile smiled in response._

_"I am doing well myself. And this young man must be Conrart Weller, your son, correct?" Odile asked, turning to look at Conrart. Conrart kept the frown on his face, his expression cold. He bowed deeply to Odile._

_"I am Conrart Weller, second son of Her Majesty, Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg. It is an honour to meet you Odile von Wincott, head of the Wincott family." Conrart stated, introducing himself. Odile chuckled in response._

_"Raise your head child, there is no need for formalities here… As it turns out, I have a daughter about your age I'd say, why don't you meet her?" Odile suggested, leading them out to the garden before Conrart could protest. He walked alongside his mother, not at all pleased to be there. When they arrived in the garden though, he froze to the spot when he heard gentle singing. The voice sounded so sincere and pure, he looked around, hoping to glimpse the owner._

_"Julia, come here will you?" Odile asked and Conrart looked up to see a beautiful woman with long, white hair, one light purple streak in her hair and beautiful light blue eyes, sitting up in a tree. She continued her song and Conrart found himself almost entranced. When she finished the final line, she glanced down, not focusing on anything with blank eyes. She jumped down swiftly, her dress folding perfectly around her as she smiled at them all._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Highness." She greeted, bowing slightly. Her voice sounded soft and mellow, like bell chimes. Conrart stood there beside his mother, blinking in shock._

_"Suzanna Julia, it's a pleasure to see you again. I did what I promised, didn't I? I brought my son, Conrart, to introduce you two." Celi replied, nudging Conrart gently with her arm._

_"Conrart, I'd heard of your swords skills. I've wanted to meet you for quite a while. I am Suzanna Julia von Wincott. It is an honor." Julia responded, bowing to the group of them. Conrart gasped quietly when she said her full name._

_"You're Julia the White? One of the three witches of the Great Demon Kingdom? I've heard a lot about you. The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for being a good friend to my mother when I have not been able to be by her side." Conrart responded, bowing back to her. Celi frowned, elbowing him harshly in the ribs._

_"Ow! Mother!" Conrart hissed, glaring at Celi as she frowned sternly at him._

_"Say something to make her smile, Conrart, it's the least you could do." Celi demanded, curious to know what he would say. Conrart blushed a little, looking down as he tried to think of what to say._

_"Y-Your dress looks pretty on you." Conrart stuttered awkwardly as Julia blinked in confusion, bursting into giggles._

_"Thank you, Conrart… That makes me so happy. In return for your nice compliment, allow me to give you this. I was working on it before you all came along." Julia responded, walking towards them with her hand stretched out. She searched with her hand until it rested on Conrart's chest. She smiled, removing her hand, then held out the flower crown she'd just made. Conrart blinked in confusion as Celi nodded for him to accept. He bowed down and Julia awkwardly put it on his head. He stood back up, blushing a little from embarrassment, but was smiling regardless._

_"May we become great friends for all eternity" Julia wished, smiling up at him brightly. Her light seemed to shine everywhere despite her being completely blind, trapped in a world of darkness all her life._

_**End Flashback**_

"That was when I first met Julia… She'd been my best friend ever since… I sometimes miss her and wish she was still around for me to talk to…" Conrart explained, finishing his story. Kazumi felt her heart shatter at how much emotion he'd put into his story. He really did miss her so very much. A thought ran through her mind.

'_Did Yuri truly end up with Julia's soul, or did it get transferred to me? Or did it split somehow like the Great Wiseman's? Maybe I'm half of Julia and so is Yuri?' _She thought to herself.

"Kazumi?" Conrart asked, glancing at her in worry when he realized she hadn't spoken a word. He bent forward a little to glance at her face which she was keeping hidden under her hair and looked shocked when he saw the tears running down her face.

"Kazumi?" Conrart asked again in worry, wondering if he'd somehow upset her. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with pity and sympathy.

"Conrart… I'm so sorry… I never dreamt you'd be filled with so much heartbreak and sorrow… I truly am sorry for your loss. She was a dear friend to you, one you never should have lost…" She apologized, the tears flowing in unstoppable fountains. Conrart gave her a pitied look, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

"I don't regret having ever met Julia. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be who I am today. She saved me, made me relax and be who I truly am. I wouldn't trade my time I had with her for anything." Conrart stated, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I sometimes wonder… who actually got Julia's soul… whether it was Yuri or myself… or both of us by chance… If it was me… I'm so sorry that in order for me to exist, Julia had to die… I'm so sorry I did that to you Conrart!" She apologized again, hiding her face by looking at the ground. Conrart blinked in shock, then sighed to himself. He removed one hand from her shoulders, using it to tilt her chin slightly so she looked up at him. His expression was stern and absolute.

"Never… Never talk like that! You are here today for a reason; never regret or be sorry for your own existence! I may miss Julia, and my memories of her may sadden me at times, but I would never, ever trade you to get her back! This kingdom needs you, Kazumi! Only you can turn it into a world where everyone can live happily and freely! Everyone needs you, even I do… We all love you, Kazumi, and wouldn't trade you for anything in this world." Conrart stated and she blinked in shock, her tears finally stopping.

"C'mon, dry your eyes… It'll be daylight soon, you should get ready to begin your studies with Gunter." Conrart sighed, smiling gently at her. He let her go during his speech and had begun heading back into the castle. She rubbed her eyes dry with her arm and then jogged after Conrart, heading back into the castle. She was so glad he'd decided to tell her what weighed him down, and she was so glad to be able to spare him some of the burden, even if just a little. He looked happier. When Conrart dropped her off at her room, she said farewell to him and closed her door. She sat on the bed, thinking of the song Conrart had told her Julia had sung the day he met her. She recalled the words and gently began singing it.

Meanwhile, Conrart stood outside the door, froze, when he heard her singing the exact song Julia had sung. He blinked in shock before smiling gently. He turned, heading down the hallway and entering his room. He took the flower crown off his head, sitting down on a chair and smiling, looking down at it as it rested gently in his hands.

"Thank you, Julia, I will never regret meeting you. Though it is a shame you never got to meet Kazumi, I have a feeling you would've liked her a lot… She's a lot like you in some ways, especially her voice and personality. She's lively and doesn't form any prejudice. I'm so glad to have met her." Conrart said to himself, smiling while running a finger gently over a purple petal of the flower his mother had created called 'Wondrous Kazumi'. The smile on his face wouldn't be removed any time soon, he could tell that much, and he intended to live up to his promise, no matter what.

SORRY IT'S SO SHORT, BUT THIS CHAPTER IS A NECESSITY! IT'S A BIG STEP IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP, BUT I COULDN'T EXTEND IT ANY MORE, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL THOUGH. AND FOR THE SAPPINESS IN THIS CHAPTER, BLAME SAPPY MUSIC! I BLAME MUSIC! I was listening to Hoshi e no Inori on repeat.


	11. Future Decisions

**Normal POV**

"Kazumi! Get back here!" Wolfram shouted, chasing the young queen down the halls of the castle. She ran for her life, knowing Wolfram was going to kill her when he caught her. She ran and ran, praying that someone or something would stop Wolfram or save her. Eventually as she was running, she tripped and scrambled to her feet, leaning against a door. Wolfram stopped in front of her, both of them trying to catch their breath.

"Kazumi! Why are you trying to sneak out the castle? Why couldn't you have come to me or Lord Weller if you wanted to go out?" Wolfram yelled, glaring dangerously at her. She gulped, trying to find the right way out of this situation.

"U-Um… I just really wanted to go out by myself, is that such a crime? You and Conrart seemed busy and I didn't want to bug either of you" She replied, but this just made Wolfram angrier.

"By yourself? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You didn't even attempt to change your appearance to that of a human, and you want to go out by yourself? Do I need to teach you a lesson the hard way?" Wolfram shouted, drawing his sword suddenly. She gasped, jumping back and hitting the door as it flew open, unable to support her weight and she toppled backwards down the stairs. There was a huge crashing sound and she felt a lot of pain.

"Kazumi!" Wolfram shouted, running down to her. He'd sheathed his sword, pulling her up out the rubble. Suddenly something came crashing down and hit her square on the head. She yelped in pain, holding the top of her head as Wolfram refrained from laughing. Once she'd managed to stop the tears from coming out, she looked at the damn object that had decided to give her a concussion.

"What the heck is this? A ramen bowl?" She asked, picking up the mysterious object. Wolfram smiled, seeing that she was sort of all right.

"It's a Demon Mirror. It's supposed to show the past and future to whoever glances into it…" Wolfram explained, chuckling when he saw the amazed, double black's expression.

"Wow! But if it's really that powerful, shouldn't it be locked up in a fancy vault and not some dusty room?" She asked in curiosity.

"We would, but it doesn't seem to work anymore… It's just a normal bowl now" Wolfram explained, standing and turning to walk out the room. As she went to place the bowl down and stand to follow Wolfram, she suddenly froze, her vision turning black as she collapsed to the floor in a heap. Her eyes remained open and blank. Wolfram turned, hearing the thud and gasped.

"Kazumi! What's wrong?" He exclaimed, lifting up her shoulders gently, but she remained motionless. He froze in horror when he saw the blank expression on her face, then picked the Demon Mirror and her up, before running out the room to find help.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

I opened my eyes to find myself in bed. I sat up sleepily, rubbing my eyes. My room looked a little different, and I felt a little strange. I stood, walking across the cold floor till I reached the mirror in my room. I gasped, seeing my hair was longer than usual and I was dressed in nothing but a dressing gown. Since when did I not wear pajamas to bed? Just as I was about to freak out and ask what the heck was going on, there was a knock on my door. I turned, seeing it open and a really damn familiar face poked its head in.

"Little sis, Lord Gunter wants to see you. He says it's an emergency, hurry! Don't even bother changing, just run! He's in his study!" Shori, my older brother, shouted as he ran into the room and grabbed my wrist. I blinked at him in shock, being pulled behind him. Since when had he been here? How did he even get here? Did he know about the whole demon situation? As I was being dragged along, another familiar figure appeared beside me.

"You're awake, Kazumi! Good job, Shori! Take her to Gunter, I'm going to go see to the guards in the west entrance!" Yuri said, disappearing down another hall. I glanced back at where he'd disappeared to. Again, how the hell…?

When the door was finally opened and I saw Gunter, he looked very distressed. He rushed to me, grabbing my shoulders roughly and sat me on a seat.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm going to have to request that you stay here! I'm going to lock the door, so don't open it for anyone but myself, okay?" he explained, rushing to the door with Shori.

"Wait! What's going on?" I cried out, jumping from my seat and rushing to them. Shori caught my shoulders, leading me back a few steps.

"Your Highness, Adelbert von Grantz is here to take your life! He's too strong for us to fight separately… We cannot afford to let him get his hands on you, nor can Conrart." Gunter explained. I blinked in shock.

"Why'd you suddenly mention Conrart?" I asked. Gunter gave me a confused look then chuckled as he and Shori began closing the doors.

"Your Highness, that is a cruel joke… After all, Lord Conrart Weller is your fiancé. The two of you are to be married next month." Gunter explained, closing the doors suddenly and locking them. I gasped, standing there stunned for a moment. Wait… we were engaged? Since when did that happen? And why wasn't I aware of that? Wait… nothing about this even makes sense. This castle looks different, too different to be the castle I know. What happened before I fell asleep?

Suddenly I remembered the incident with Wolfram and the Demon Mirror. I gasped, looking around as I realized this must've been the future. Wolfram did say the Demon Mirror could show the past or the future, and this definitely wasn't the past. I suddenly realized what Gunter had said and began banging on the doors.

"Let me out! Now! I have to find a way to stop this!" I shouted, banging on the doors as hard as I could. But it was no use. I just wasn't strong enough. I turned, seeing the small window placed up high on the wall. I grabbed a chair, pushing it against the wall and stood on it. However, luck was against me. The window was locked from the outside. I banged against it, catching the attention of one of the fly bone tribe. I banged on the window again, pointing at the lock. Somehow, it understood me and undid the lock, letting the window fly open. I sighed, breathing in the fresh air that engulfed me suddenly. I pulled myself up through the window then gasped, seeing that it was a long way down. I would definitely not survive a fall that high without breaking my neck.

* * *

**Normal POV**

"What happened?" Conrart asked as they all stood around Kazumi's bed. She had been placed on the bed and everyone was gathered around. Gunter looked heartbroken, sobbing out 'Your Majesty'.

"I'm not sure… We were talking while she was holding the Demon Mirror, then she suddenly collapsed like this" Wolfram explained, looking worried. Gisela was performing a scan on her, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"There's nothing physically wrong with her except for the small bump on her head the Demon Mirror gave her when it fell on her head. But it's as if her soul is somewhere else." Gisela announced, gazing at the Demon Mirror.

"I wonder what she's seeing…" Gwendal wondered, looking at the still body of the young queen in concern. Conrart glanced at the Demon Mirror, which was resting on the table, gazing into it.

"It won't work. Only the Demon King or Queen can use it… And I have a feeling she wouldn't want you guys to know what she's seeing anyway, it'd be too embarrassing for her to say aloud." Hisako stated, entering the room with a small smirk on her face. Everyone's attention shot to her as she walked to the Demon Mirror.

"Don't worry… she won't be hurt… She'll also come back soonish" Hisako explained, smiling at everyone. Seraphina jumped up on the bed, tapping at Kazumi's arm with her paw, mewing for her to wake up, then glanced at everyone sadly when she didn't respond. Hisako giggled, picking up Seraphina and hugging her close.

"Don't worry, Seraphina, she'll wake up soon." Hisako stated, cooing to her. Seraphina began purring happily, glad to be being hugged. Little did they know what their best friend was facing mortal danger as they spoke.

* * *

**Kazumi's POV**

"Oh dear god… please don't kill me!" I prayed, beginning to walk along the edge of the building. The wind blew up my dressing gown and I really hoped there was no one under me, especially looking up, otherwise I'd die of embarrassment. Why hadn't Shori given me time to get some underwear on? As I continued to slowly make my way across, the brick I was standing on suddenly gave out underneath me and I began falling. I let out a small scream, falling and falling until the fly bone tribesmen caught me, gently lowering me to the ground. I felt my feet land gently on the ground then I looked up at it.

"Thank you! Which way is everyone else?" I asked and it pointed me in the right direction. I bowed my head to it, turning and running as quickly as I could. I had to stop them all before they killed themselves or killed Adalbert. When I approached the stairs leading down to the courtyard where everyone else was, I saw them all gathered around, talking to Adelbert. I approached closer, hiding in some of the bushes.

"Adelbert von Grantz! Turn around now and we will overlook this incident!" Gunter demanded. Adelbert smirked, his eyes looking almost dead.

"I could care less about you guys or the kid… One of the two twins is Julia… I will find out which one, and then that one will either be by my side, or end my life so I can be with her… Is it this brat or your precious Queen?" Adelbert wondered, pointing at Yuri, then at the castle.

"You did a good job hiding her, but I will find her." Adelbert tormented. Conrart growled, unsheathing his sword.

"If you want Kazumi, then you'll have to go through me!" He snapped, watching Adalbert as he unsheathed his own sword, charging at Conrart. I gasped, watching everyone else back away, watching the fight.

"Archers ready? We can't afford to let him get close to the twins!" Gwendal exclaimed, lifting his arm up to signal to them when to fire. I gasped, freezing as my eyes widened in shock. I don't know what came over me then. I took off out the bushes, running towards the two of them as the thunder blared and the rain began falling heavily.

"NO!" I screamed, running to the two of them and they both froze, looking at me in shock as I ran between the two of them, stopping them from cutting each other down.

"Gunter! I thought you said she was safe in the castle!" Wolfram exclaimed and Gunter looked puzzled.

"Kazumi! Get away! That man is dangerous!" Shori yelled but I shook my head.

"No! I will not go away! This is my problem and I will deal with it!" I shouted, standing in front of Conrart, facing Adelbert.

"You made things easier for me… Now tell me, are you Julia? I need to know!" Adelbert snapped, grabbing my shoulder roughly and jerking me around a little. I winced from the pain, trying to stay on my feet as my dressing gown slipped off my shoulder a little. I looked up at him with a look of pity.

"You poor thing… You really loved Julia, didn't you?" I stated calmly. I wasn't even shaken. The rain was freezing, I was drenched, but I didn't care. All I could feel was the hurt and pain that Adelbert was radiating. Adelbert clenched his teeth together, trying to keep himself under control.

"You have no idea... I loved her more than anyone in this world! Why? Why did she have to die? Die without telling me anything!" Adelbert exclaimed and I smiled softly. I stepped closer to him, hearing Conrart stop himself from pulling me back, then raised a hand, gently caressing Adelbert's cheek. Adelbert jerked away, swinging his sword at me but it was an easy dodge. I continued to give him a compassionate look.

"Don't give me that look! You know nothing of my pain! You know nothing! I will kill you then myself! I'll also kill the other kid, that way I will get Julia back!" Adelbert snapped. He growled dangerously and I frowned. I grabbed his sword by the blade, pointing it at my chest as everyone else gasped.

"Then kill me! I don't care what happens to me if it eases your own suffering a little, just don't end your own life! Too many people love you Adelbert, you're just too stricken with grief to see it!" I yelled determinedly as he gasped, looking at me in shock. We remained like that for a while as the rain poured down heavily.

"Julia…" he whispered, then yelled loudly, jerking the sword away from me, aiming it at himself. I gasped in shock, running to him and hitting the sword with my hand. It flew out his hand, flying as I wrapped my arms around him tightly. Everyone looked shocked, wondering what had caused this all to happen.

"Let me go!" he yelled, trying to fight out my grip. I clenched my eyes and teeth shut tightly, hugging him tightly.

"No! I won't ever let you go! If you ever think of killing yourself, I will never let you go! Never ever! Never think of ending your life! Julia died because that was her destiny! Appreciate what you have and live! Find your reason for living, cause everyone's alive for a reason! I'm alive to be Demon Queen, you have a reason just as important, you just need to find it!" I shouted, shaking my head while hugging him tightly. Adelbert had frozen, becoming steady instead of tense. I looked up at him to see he looked stunned. He slowly lowered his hands to my shoulders, gently pulling me away.

"Adelbert" Conrart stated, taking a step forward. Adelbert let me go, turning around and walking to his sword. I watched him curiously as he picked it up, sheathing it and turning to face me. He had a kind smile on his face, his eyes had a little more life to them and tears were running down his face.

"Thank you kid… you saved me…" he stated, bowing his head and turning, walking out the gate and disappearing.

"Adelbert…" I whispered, feeling arms wrap around my shoulders. I turned to see Conrart was hugging me, looking at me in concern.

"Conrart?" I asked. He looked down at me, his eyes filled with many emotions.

"Lord Weller was really scared Kazumi… that's what's wrong… now, if you'll excuse us all" Hisako stated amongst everyone, leading everyone away as Conrart and I stood facing each other in the rain.

"Conrart?" I asked again. Conrart suddenly grabbed my shoulders, pulling himself down as he forced a kiss on me. I froze in shock, wondering what was going on as my world faded and all I saw was black.

When I opened my eyes, I looked around to see everyone looking at me in worry.

"Kazumi! Are you alright!?" Wolfram shouted, looking guilty. I sat up, rubbing my head as I felt pain. I looked down to see I was wearing my school uniform.

"I'm back home… That was really weird…" I muttered to myself. Everyone looked at me curiously.

"Your Highness, what did you see?" Gunter asked. I looked at him and then smiled to myself.

"I saw a new friend… nothing more, nothing less…" I stated, sliding my legs off the bed and rising to my feet. I walked a few steps before turning to look at everyone.

"Was that all?" Hisako teased and I blinked at her in confusion. My gaze caught sight of Conrart and I suddenly remembered the last bit before I'd woken up. I remembered the kiss and my face was flushed pure red. I turned quickly, averting my eyes as I rushed to the window, pushing it open to let the wind hit my face, trying to cool it down.

"Kid?" Gwendal asked. I looked at them, my face still red.

"Are you alright? What's wrong Your Highness?" Conrart asked and my face flushed again.

"I'm fine! It's nothing! Nothing at all!" I exclaimed, giggling as the blush on my face faded. Everyone seemed to calm down, and luckily the whole incident was laid to rest.


	12. Two of a Kind

**Kazumi's POV**

"Lord Griesela Gegenhuber? I think I heard you mention him in your lesson about the war…Is that right?" She asked Gunter when he suddenly popped the question on me in the middle of class. Gunter nodded, looking impressed.

"Very good, Your Majesty! You pay good attention in your classes! I'll explain more about him in our next lesson, I just wanted to be sure you remembered his name." Gunter explained, opening and showing me the door. She stood, walking out, feeling a little unsatisfied.

"Hey? Something wrong, Kazumi?" asked Hisako as she walked up the hallway towards me. I waved at her, glad to see her after she'd been at the Tomb of the Great One for so long. When she stopped beside me, I greeted her with a smile.

"Not much… just Gunter ending every lesson in a cliff hanger…" I replied, beginning to walk as she followed me. We exited the hallway into the courtyard and spotted Wolfram talking with Gwendal. Conrart was teaching the soldiers new fighting techniques and Anissina was actually behaving.

"Kazumi, ever since you started ruling here, things have been getting better, haven't you noticed that?" Hisako asked and I glanced at her in confusion. Had things really improved that much since I took over the throne?

"Really? I don't see much of a difference…" I muttered and Hisako giggled.

"Of course you wouldn't… but look at all of them, they look so much happier now that you're in charge!" She replied, patting my back. Conrart must've heard Hisako since his attention suddenly turned to us as he gave us a small wave and then returning to training the soldiers.

"Kazumi! We've just received word from Ulrike at the Tomb of the Great One! Apparently a boy appeared in their fountain, he's a double black just like you, and about your age!" Wolfram suddenly announced, rushing to me. This made me freeze like a statue, my blood turning to ice as Conrart also looked shocked.

"Yuuri!? What's my brother doing here?" I yelled, turning and running to the stables.

"Wait!" Wolfram yelled, running after me with Conrart and Hisako. We jumped on our horses, exiting the castle grounds and galloped all the way to the Tomb of the Great One. The moment we got to the gate I jumped off my horse, stumbling to my feet and ran inside. The others were running behind me, trying to keep up.

"State your name and business here!" commanded a female soldier by the fountain as she pointed her blade at a boy with short black hair and black eyes.

"W-Whoa! Calm down! Take it easy! I-I can't understand a word you're saying!" he stuttered in fear, sitting back to avoid the blade.

"Yuuri!" I yelled, running into the courtyard and jumping at the boy, hugging him tightly. He was pushed back in shock, the both of us falling into the water and ending up soaked.

"W-Whoa! Kazumi? What're you doing here?" He asked, pulling me back as I helped him sit up.

"Unbelievable… now we've got the full set!" Conrart stated, smiling at the two of us.

"The more I compare the two of them, the more I see all the similarities" Hisako stated, then giggled at Wolfram who looked confused.

"I can't believe you're actually here! What are you doing here anyway?" I asked and Yuuri shrugged his shoulders.

"One question… where are we?" he asked, still looking a little frightened.

"Hang on! Gisela taught me this, let's see if I can remember… Just hold on, this may hurt a little, Yurui" I stated, putting my hands over his ears and closed my eyes. Yuri looked confused then suddenly winced in pain, clutching his head as I let him go.

"Ow! What was that, Kazumi?" he snapped, looking up at me in anger, then froze when he realized he could understand everyone around him.

"How weird… suddenly I can understand what everyone's saying… Kazumi, is this a dream of some kind?" he asked and I burst into giggles, shaking my head.

"No, I thought so too at first, but this world hurts a little too much to be a dream. No, we're in the Great Demon Kingdom, you've kind of landed in a 'no boys allowed' area Yuri" I explained and Yuri yelped in shock, standing and blushing a little.

"I landed in a girl's only school? Oh god, Murata would kill to be in my shoes!" He stated, looking embarrassed. This just made me burst out laughing.

"Your Majesty, who is this strange man?" the guard asked, looking confused. It took a little for me to recover from my laughing fit but I managed to wipe away the tears from my eyes.

"Majesty? Who's that?" Yuri asked, looking confused.

"This is my twin brother, Yuri Shibuya." I explained and the guards and Wolfram both gasped. The guards suddenly bowed, looking sorry.

"To think we raised a blade against the brother of our Demon Queen, how can we possibly make up for this heinous crime!" the guard apologized. Yuri looked shocked, letting out another yell of surprise.

"What? You're a queen, Kazumi? Since when?" He yelled. I winced a little from how loud he yelled then sighed.

"She's been Demon Queen for a few months here now… about a week or two in our world." Hisako explained, stepping forward and smiling at him. Yuri blinked in shock when he realized it was Hisako in front of him, and then he smiled.

"Heya, Hisako! How's it going!? Wait… why're you here too!?" Yuri exclaimed when he finally put two and two together. I sighed, knowing that was normal for my brother.

"Yuuri, do you ever use your head?" I asked and Yuri looked at me in confusion. I heard chuckles as Conrart stepped forward, helping us both out the fountain.

"It's been a while, Yuri" he greeted, smiling gently at him. Yuri gave him a pondering look.

"I'm not sure… but, have we met somewhere before?" Yuri asked. Conrart blinked in shock.

"Yuuri, this man here is Conrart Weller, he's your godfather" I introduced and Yuri gasped in shock then pointed a finger at him.

"You're my godfather? I don't believe it, then you're responsible for the whole 'Yuri is short of urine' thing my whole life!" Yuri stated, sighing. Conrart chuckled in response, smiling at the both of us.

"Anyway, we should get back to the castle before Gwendal suddenly sends a search party for us." Wolfram announced, suddenly appearing by my side and dragging me away.

"Whoa! Wait up Wolfram! I haven't introduced you to my brother yet!" I tried to say but I'd been dragged away.

**Normal POV**

"Um… did I just miss something?" Yuri asked and Hisako sighed.

"Sorry, that was Wolfram von Bielefelt, he's not one with a lot of friends, so as soon as he got over himself and became friends with Kazumi, he's become quite possessive." Hisako explained. Yuuri chuckled halfheartedly.

"More like he likes her or something…" Yuri muttered, following after Hisako and Conrart.

**Kazumi's POV**

"Wolfram! Where are we going?" I asked, trying to get him to stop dragging me. He finally stopped out by the horses, turning to look at me.

"Listen, you need to be careful for your brother, okay? As soon as the kingdom knows your brother is here, he'll be just as much of a target as you, especially because the two of you are twins!" Wolfram warned. I blinked in shock, not expecting him to say that to me.

"Seriously?" I asked and he nodded, looking way too serious. I gulped, seeing the three of them at the stairs. I watched Yuri closely, imagining how he'd cope if he got captured for my sake or because of me. He wouldn't survive very long, I could definitely see that.

"Yuuri! Stay close to Conrart, alright? Especially on our way back to the castle." I commanded, jumping up on my horse. Yuri blinked in confusion, but nodded, heading to Conrart as he was hoisted onto the horse awkwardly and sat behind Conrart. On the way here, Hisako had rode with Conrart, so she ended up sitting behind a reluctant Wolfram.

"I get the feeling those two don't get along well…" Yuri stated, looking at the two of them. Conrart chuckled, nodding his head.

"Yes, those two are very much like cats and dogs" Conrart replied. I began walking my horse down the trail, the other two following close behind me. I was keeping an eye out and being on extra alert because of what Wolfram had said, but I had no idea what was awaiting me.

On the trail, I'd let my guard slip for a second as I turned to talk to Hisako.

"So where are you staying tonight, the castle or the tomb of the great one?" I asked and Hisako thought for a second.

"I guess I'll stay at the castle tonight…Kazumi! Watch out!" she yelled and I gasped, looking to my side to see a giant log flying straight at me. Yuri yelled out something but I couldn't hear it as I was frozen to the spot. Impact hurt like hell and I was pretty sure if it'd hit around near my head or my front, I definitely would've died, but my body flew like a rag doll into the air, crumpling and rolling down the forest hill.

**Normal POV**

"Kazumi!" Conrart yelled, looking horrified at the sight he'd seen.

'_Damn hunters!' _Thought Conrart. _'And to think they used their most deadliest weapons on Kazumi!_' He steadied his horse, looking down the hill and wanting nothing more than to run down after her before the hunters got her and probably hurt her more. Someone had actually beaten him to it. He gasped as he realized Yuuri was running down the hill, calling out Kazumi's name.

"Idiot!" yelled Wolfram as he steadied his own horse. Conrart jumped off his horse, running after where Yuuri had disappeared into the bush.

"Wolfram! Stay here and look after Her Eminence!" Conrart yelled, running after Yuri.

"Yuri! Get back, it's not safe!" Conrart yelled, catching up to him and running beside him.

"Did you see which way she flew? Her limbs weren't meant to bend that way, were they?" Yuri asked in fear of his sister's safety. Conrart's expression softened as he shook his head, not wanting to frighten the boy any more than necessary. Eventually they found her body, crumpled up, laying on its side.

"Kazumi!" Yuri yelled, running to her and scooping her up in his arms. He looked terrified, realizing she was severely hurt.

"This is serious… it's dangerous to move her… but we have little choice!" Conrart announced, lifting her up gently in his arms. Yuri watched him anxiously, waiting for her unconscious body to begin screaming in pain, but it never did.

"Is she still alive Conrad?" Yuri asked in a whisper. Conrart was able to smile at him in response to his question.

"Yes, she's very much still alive. Your sister's a fighter; she'll make it through this. But now we have to get back up there to Wolfram and Hisako." Conrart answered and Yuri managed to smile back at him.

"Alright! Let's get back!" Yuri stated when a thought struck Conrart.

"Wait a minute, you two are twins right? If you two switched clothing, we might be able to fool them into thinking they got the wrong target!" Conrart announced. Yuri exclaimed his surprise loudly, giving him a questioning look.

"Are you out of your mind, Conrad!? She's got long hair! Last I checked we don't have any wigs around!" Yuri replied. Conrart smiled back at him.

"We'll hide her hair under the shirt. I can't change her though, you'll have to. Make it quick!" Conrart stated, putting Kazumi gently in Yuri's arms. Yuuri quickly ran to a bush and, reluctantly, switched their clothing. He made sure to hide Kazumi's hair inside the shirt, making her look like him, and he was dressed like a shorthaired version of his sister. He came back out, blushing in embarrassment.

"Great! You look just like your sister, except with short hair, but no one really knows the length of Kazumi's hair besides the other nobles. Let's get going." Conrart stated, grabbing Kazumi and began walking back up with Yuri.

"I am so glad she wears shorts under the skirt, otherwise I'd be dying of embarrassment…" Yuri muttered, his cheeks burning a little.

"You look fine, Your Majesty" Conrart replied, chuckling.

"Conrad, I will hit you soon if you don't stop…" Yuri muttered, looking down dejectedly. Suddenly footsteps alerted them as three hunters appeared, stopping them.

"Wait! We got the wrong one? Darn!" stated the female of the three. The other two handsome looking men sighed in defeat, drawing their swords.

"I hear the Queen can fight pretty well with a sword! So let's see it!" the male hunter announced and both Yuuri and Conrart looked stunned. They'd forgotten that little fact. This was bad; Yuri didn't know how to fight with a sword, or horse ride to save his life!

"Conrad…" Yuri whined at him quietly, looking at the hunters fearfully. Conrart gently placed Kazumi down on the ground, drawing his sword as he stepped in front of the two of them protectively. Yuri had stepped close to his sister, kneeling and holding her in his arms, glaring at the hunters. After a little more fighting between Conrart and the hunters, Conrart was soon on his ropes. The hunters kept ganging up on him and he was struggling to hold his own.

"Conrad!" Yuri yelled, looking at him anxiously. Suddenly Conrart's sword went flying and he gasped, watching one of the hunters dive at Yuri and Kazumi.

"Yuri! Kazumi!" he yelled and saw Yuri yell in fear, suddenly being enveloped in a blue glow. A shock wave blasted through the area and the hunters were thrown back, looking up at him in shock.

"I won't let you get away with this!" he snapped loudly, sending large water dragons at them, immobilizing them. Conrart watched in amazement, then became stunned when he saw Kazumi's eyes flutter open. Yuri calmed down, the glow disappearing as he collapsed. At the same time Kazumi sat up, rubbing her head in pain.

"Kazumi! You're alright?" Conrart asked, dashing forward and kneeling by her. She looked up at him in confusion and then looked at Yuri's unconscious body.

"Um… Why is Yuri unconscious and why is he in my clothes?" She asked, finding this situation odd. Conrart chuckled, explaining the situation, then picked Yuri up, heading up to where they'd left Wolfram and Hisako. When we met up with them, we explained the situation and began returning back to the castle after Hisako had recovered from her giggle fit. Luckily we came across no more hunters and returned back to the castle safely.


	13. Icy Confrontation

Now, it's come to my attention that people are having a little difficulty grasping the story, so please let me make some points clearer for you all. And a couple rules as well, please let me point them all out too.

Kazumi is NOT Yuri! Please, PLEASE, understand that! She is different from him, so she will react differently to things than he will, and it may take her longer or shorter amounts of time to grasp a situation, so please keep that in mind.

THIS IS NOT A RECREATION OF KYO KARA MAOH! IT WILL NOT FOLLOW THE EXACT STORY LINE OR RULES OF THE ANIME OR MANGA! So please stop asking me why she wasn't given something to contract her to an element. IT WILL BE EXPLAINED EVENTUALLY! So sit tight, keep reading and find out!

Any hurtful reviews will be immediately deleted, so don't even bother posting them alright? I normally don't care much for anon's being jerks towards me, but it doesn't mean I'm just gonna lay there and take it, no way! If you don't like the story, fine! Turn around, walk out the other way, and don't make a big fuss about it! You're grown children, I'm sure you can handle it, rather than saying all these hurtful things and making the writer feel like crap. I'm not forcing anyone to read this, nor am I expecting people to continue reading the whole thing from start to finish, but if people like my story, great! If they get bored with it half way, oh well, can't be helped. I'm not gonna stand by them and tell them to keep reading, so why can't you guys walk away quietly? Remember, hurtful comments won't be tolerated! Helpful criticism is welcome; bashing me is not. Remember that everyone.

Some chapters will be faster paced than others, which may be because of the mood I'm in, or I might just be in a hurry all together. If you feel the chapter ends too abruptly, I apologise, but please don't make a big fuss of it. Others will be better later on.

Kazumi's character is her own! She will become clearer as the story progresses. So if she doesn't have much life in her at the moment from your views, just sit tight, keep up to date, and more of her character will be revealed. I believe Kazumi is like most people out there in the world, even once you know a person for a few good months, you're not gonna go showing them all of yourself. It's going to take time for you to open yourself completely, even to those who become dear to you. That's why Kazumi will gradually become more and more like herself. Especially since her brother is now here.

Anyway, that's all I really wanted to talk about. Please keep these rules and thoughts in mind when continuing to read the story, and remember, this was all written from a dream that progressed into an idea and into a story. It's not going to be exact to the anime and will not follow the exact same storyline. Anon haters, I only have one message to you, you will not win this war, so don't bother trying. Thank you for reading, and I'm sorry for taking your time. Enjoy chapter 13 now!

"You're kidding! This entire palace is yours?" Yuri shouted from behind Conrart as he sat on the horse. We'd changed back into our normal clothes and he'd woken up. I giggled in response, turning to look at him and smiled at him.

"Not quite mine, exactly. More like the palace is where the Maoh stays at, ruling, then once they step down, the new Maoh steps in. Kinda like the President's house." I explained, grinning at him as he blinked, looking at the palace excitedly.

"Wow, he really is finding this very interesting, isn't he?" Hisako asked from behind Wolfram and I smiled at her.

"Yeah, just wish he'd find class as interesting as this…" I replied back and Yuri glared at me. I gave him a sheepish smile, knowing I was probably gonna get hit once we got back to the palace.

Eventually we made it back to the palace and were greeted by Gunter and one of his smothering hugs.

"You're finally back, Your Highness! You took so long, I was beginning to wonder if I should send Gwendal after you all!" Gunter exclaimed, hugging me so tightly I couldn't breathe.

"Gunter, don't you think Her Highness is going a bit blue from lack of oxygen?" Conrart asked in a teasing voice and Gunter gasped, letting me go as I stumbled back, catching my breath.

"Is he always like this Kazumi?" Yuri asked as he tried to dismount from the horse. His foot got caught and as I gasped, turning to run to him, he yelped in fright, falling down into a crumpled heap on the floor. I knelt by him, helping him sit up.

"Are you alright Yuri?" I asked, checking him over for injuries. He winced in pain, rubbing the back of his head. Conrart was soon by us, helping him stand.

"I'm fine, guys… takes more than that to bust my head open." Yuri reassured us, smiling at us as Conrart let him go, letting him stand.

"If you're sure…" Conrart stated, turning his attention back to Gunter. Gunter looked like he was about to faint of pleasure or something. He had a slight blush on his face and he looked like he was living blissfully.

"Is this who I think it is?" he asked, stepping forward as Yuri raised a brow, trying to step behind me a little.

"Yep, this is my twin brother, Yuri Shibuya! He's older by a few minutes" I introduced, stepping away from Yuri as he froze in disbelief at my actions. I'd just fed him to the sharks from what his expression said. Gunter exclaimed in joy, dashing forward and scooped Yuri up in his arms in a big bear hug.

"Oh I can see the resemblance! You two really are twins! If it weren't from your genders I would believe you two were identical twins!" Gunter exclaimed, hugging Yuri so tightly he couldn't breathe.

"Kazumi! Kazumi, help!" he managed to squeak out and I just burst into giggles. The sound of someone clearing their throat caught our attention as he all looked behind Gunter to see Gwendal standing there, arms crossed and looking at us disapprovingly.

"Gwendal! Allow me to introduce my twin brother, Yuri Shibuya! Yuri, this is Gwendal von Voltaire, Conrart and Wolfram's older brother! And the man squeezing you to death is Gunter von Christ." I stated before Gwendal cleared his throat again.

"Well, what took you all so long?" Gwendal asked, sounding impatient. Hisako stepped out from beside me.

"We ran into some trouble. Poachers. They got Kazumi for a bit there, but Yuri showed some incredible displays of demon magic. My guess is that because Kazumi's powers were activated in this world, somehow, they unlocked Yuri's too. There's a lot of mystery surrounding twins, especially ones that look as identical as the two of them. It's quite possible." Hisako explained. Gwendal then gave one of his glares that showed he was observing him. Yuri flinched under the glare, wondering what he'd done wrong.

"Don't worry, Yuri, Gwendal won't hurt you! He's just sizing you up!" I replied and Yuri gave me an unamused expression.

"Anyway, back to business. Some towns bordering the Demon Kingdom have been attacked recently. It's strange. Nothing physical is actually attacking them, but damage is being done to countless places and many people have been hurt." Gwendal explained.

"Could it be magic?" Wolfram asked and Gwendal nodded in reply.

"We believe so. But the issue is, no one can find the actual person doing the attacks! That's why I was hoping Wolfram, Conrart and myself would go down and find out the cause." Gunter finished explaining. I immediately stepped in.

"I'm going too!" I immediately said, hearing Gwendal sigh to himself. I gave Gunter a determined look and he soon gave in.

"No way! She's not going, Gunter! What are you thinking? She was just attacked by poachers, and you're willing to let her out again? I thought you were smarter than that!" Gwendal suddenly snapped, making all of us look at him in shock. This was unusual for him.

"I-I know… but… When Her Highness gives me that determined look, I just can't say no!" Gunter tried to explain, but Gwendal just got angrier.

"Then learn to say no! You're the royal advisor! You're supposed to advise her! Not let her go running into danger!" Gwendal yelled back in response. I frowned, not liking the way he was talking to Gunter. Just as Gunter was being backed into a corner in the conversation, I jumped in front, shielding him from Gwendal's verbal attacks.

"Stop it, Gwendal! You're just being a big bully now! You can snap at me all you want, but don't talk to Gunter that way; it's not very nice!" I snapped at him, glaring dangerously. He glared back.

"Um… does this happen often?" Yuri whispered to Conrart but he shook his head, looking just as bewildered as Wolfram, Hisako and Gunter were.

"Sometimes talking in such a way is a necessary evil. Now you will do well to step aside so I can finish lecturing him. Step aside, runt!" Gwendal ordered, grabbing my shoulder and trying to push me aside. I felt something snap inside me and I immediately grabbing his wrist tightly, my gaze becoming like ice. I saw Gwendal glare at me, unable to move his hand away.

"Let me go!" he yelled, sounding a little shaken at the strength I was using.

"What's wrong? Don't like it when someone stands up to you? That's too bad… Cause if you keep acting like this to other people working for me, I will have you demoted, understand? No one talks to anyone like that in this palace. You may have done so beforehand, but it ends now. Understand?" I asked, my voice calm and as sharp as ice. Gwendal flinched from my tone, trying to back away.

"Whoa… I've only seen her act like that once before… And that was back when we were little… Some boys were teasing me about my name and they decided that bashing me was a good way to prove to my mother I needed a name change. When Kazumi entered the room and saw what was going on, something in her just seemed to snap. I swore I felt the room go colder and suddenly before I knew it, all the bullies were in the corner crying. They had no injuries, but they were scared shitless" Yuri explained, finding the new change in me scary.

"Is this really the same Kazumi we know?" Wolfram asked Hisako, and Hisako shook her head.

"No, this is more 'Kazumi being taken over by her powers a little', but she actually hasn't changed into her Maoh form. It's just a little of her power leaking. Look, snow is beginning to fall. That's a good sign her powers are in action." Hisako explained, having recovered from her initial shock.

"So Kazumi's still in control?" Gunter asked, having stepped away from the confrontation, and joined the others. Hisako nodded, wondering if I'd have enough consciousness in me to stop myself from hurting Gwendal physically. Gwendal looked like was he was in no condition psychologically to argue with me. His hand was shaking and his eye was twitching, showing signs of the fear he'd gained of getting on my bad side. I let him go, letting him retreat back, grabbing his wrist and backing away another step.

"Fine… You can go…" He muttered, turning and walking off. I remained in my cold stated.

"Gwendal von Voltaire… I did not challenge your word to be given permission to go… I was already going from the start… I challenged your word because of the way you talked to Gunter von Christ… Reflect on this incident and learn from your mistakes as we all do in life. No one is perfect, so don't be too hard on yourself." I called out to him. He stopped, absorbing what I said, then continued walking off. I sighed, calming down, then turned to look at everyone. They looked a bit shocked still.

"Shall we get going?" I asked, flashing my brightest smile. My voice had gone back to normal and I giggled a little, walking to my horse.

"Um, Your Majesty? We should get provisions first before we leave…" Gunter stated and I stopped, looking at him curiously. I gave him a goofy smile, pretending to hit my head with my hand.

"Of course! Silly me! Let's go get this stuff first!" I stated, skipping happily to the castle.

"Was that normal? That didn't seem like our Kazumi…" Conrart asked, looking a bit confused.

"It's not… She acted like this too after she scared those bullies… She tries her hardest to make sure those who have witnessed her scary side don't remain scared of her. She's trying to make sure you guys don't hate her because she has this side to her personality" Yuri explained.

"That's ridiculous! Why would we hate her because of a silly incident like this?" Wolfram asked, looking insulted from the very idea.

"But that's the issue though… You weren't on the receiving end of it… For Lord Gwendal and Lord Gunter… they must be scared of her a little… Lord Gwendal especially… He must be thinking she's some kind of freak, or thinking her demon side came out for a bit there." Hisako explained, her words quickly shutting Wolfram up.

"Let's just get these provisions and get going… I think Kazumi wants to get this done as quickly as possible…" Yuri stated, looking ahead to see me walking back with a few packs the maids had given me for the journey.

"Hey, guys! Look what the maids gave me! It's food and water for the trip! They even included some canisters with that yummy stew Lasagna makes!" I called out, setting the packs down and showing them the canisters.

"Lasagna? That's an odd name…" Yuri muttered, chuckling.

"Wow, I can't wait!" Wolfram exclaimed happily.

"Wait… I'm going to have to request one of you to stay behind. I'm going as well… And I need someone to watch Anissina so she doesn't destroy the castle while we're gone". Gwendal suddenly announced, catching our attention.

"Gwendal?" I asked curiously. He stepped forward, kneeling by the packs and looking at the food. Gunter smiled for some reason, stepping back.

"Very well, I understand. Have fun, Gwendal, Conrart, Your Eminence, Wolfram, Your Majesty and Her Highness's brother… I'll hold down the fort with my life!" Gunter declared, turning and walking back to the castle. We watched him leave, and then glanced back at Gwendal.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Gwendal asked and I nodded, smiling at everyone as they nodded back. We had no idea what was going to await for us in the bordering town, nor the dangers we'd all face.


	14. Loyalties

The riding order went a little like this. Hisako sat behind Wolfram, Yuri sat behind Conrart, and much to my objection, and I ended up stuck behind Gwendal. Apparently it was too dangerous to let me ride on my own, so I ended up with Gwendal being super protective for some reason.

"I wonder how Gunter's holding up…?" I pondered and Yuri shrugged his shoulders. He was having no trouble stuck behind Conrart and I couldn't help but envy him. He was riding with someone who was easy to talk to; meanwhile I stuck with grumpy tots… Every time I opened my mouth to say something, I could feel him flinch, as if refraining himself from telling me to be quiet so he could concentrate. It was really beginning to bug me. Why couldn't I swap with someone? But then that'd be too mean, I'd be letting Gwendal know that I didn't like him very much, and I just couldn't do that. No matter how much I disliked the guy at the moment, if I didn't at least try and break the ice between us, I knew I'd regret it for the rest of my life.

"Who knows…? He's probably become her science project now" Gwendal stated, huffing to himself a little. I took note of the way he said that.

"Ah, I get it. You wanted to come along so she couldn't get you, was that it?" I asked in a sly voice and saw him immediately tense up, looking a little stunned and squirmed a little. Yep, I'd caught him. I could hear the others laughing to themselves and decided to join in with some giggles. Gwendal calmed down a little then cleared his throat, not saying a word and resuming his duties.

"It's getting a little late now, wouldn't you say?" Hisako asked a few hours later, peering out from behind Wolfram to glance at the now setting sun.

"It is… Brother, Lord Weller, we should set up camp now nearby, shouldn't we?" Wolfram asked, slowing his horse to a stop. Conrart and Gwendal followed suit and soon we had stopped at a small clearing in the woods. Our sleeping arrangements had been set up and the campfire had been lit. It'd gotten a little chilly with the night air, and soon all three of us people from Earth were shaking a little. Yuri was shaking the most, so I gave him my blanket. For some reason, I seemed most okay with the cold.

"I-It's freezing!" Hisako sneezed, clutching the blanket closely to herself, rubbing her hands together while scooting closer to the fire. Yuri followed suit and I giggled at the two of them. I glanced down at my arms, only seeing light Goosebumps.

"Wow, you two are horrible with the cold" I stated, laughing while I received glares.

"Yeah, well you've always seemed like a robot when it comes to the cold, it doesn't bother you much at all, no matter how cold it gets!" Yuri exclaimed, glaring and pouting at me.

"Her Majesty's immunity to the cold might be linked with her magical element mainly being ice and snow." Conrart added from his guard position by the trees. We all glanced at him, and I couldn't help but smile faintly. Even though we were all dressed in casual clothes, he still looked the most handsome of all the men here. I beamed a small smile at him then glanced back at Yuri and Hisako to see they'd stood up, making their beds.

"We should head to bed." Gwendal stated, lying down as Wolfram, Yuri and Hisako all did the same. I looked among them, smiled, grabbed a spare blanket and walked to where Conrart sat against the tree.

"Your Majesty?" He asked, watching me sit down and drape the blanket over myself and slightly over him.

"I can't have you getting a cold." I stated, snuggling into the blanket and closing my eyes happily.

**Narrator**

Conrart smiled gently, looking out over the campsite when he suddenly felt something land on his shoulder. He glanced down to see a mop of long black hair and instantly smiled, seeing that the young queen had fallen asleep against his arm.

"Sweet dreams, Your Majesty… Good nigh,t Kazumi…" Conrart whispered, pulling the blanket up better over her shoulders so no cold air could get to her.

**Kazumi**

When daylight broke, I opened my eyes due to the invading light. I looked around sleepily, seeing Conrart was now asleep and Gwendal was up on alert. I smiled, looking up at his sleeping face. He looked so innocent compared to usual. His head kept bobbing down occasionally, his mouth open slightly, his eyebrows raised up innocently. His brown hair was a little ruffled. I couldn't help but giggle softly. I looked around the camp, seeing Wolfram, Yuri and Hisako were still all asleep.

I unwrapped myself from the blanket, standing and draping it over Conrart. I then turned, walking toward Gwendal.

"Um… Gwendal? About earlier… when I snapped at you… I'm sorry… I tend to lose my temper occasionally, and I didn't mean most of what I said…" I apologized, bowing my head. Gwendal snickered, covering his mouth with his hand.

"It's quite alright… I realized you were right after I'd had some time to think over what you'd said… Now raise your head, it's pitiful for a Demon Queen to bow her head to her subjects…" Gwendal stated, standing and placing a hand on my shoulder. As soon as his hand made contact, an explosion ripped through the area. I gasped, turning to the source of the noise as everyone jumped, startled awake.

"Your Highness!" Conrart yelled, standing and tossing the blanket away.

"It came from the village a couple hundred meters away!" Wolfram yelled, standing as Yuri and Hisako did the same.

"We have to go check it out!" I stated, beginning to run to the village.

"Hey! Get back here!" Gwendal yelled, running after me. I continued running, exiting the brush and freezing. The cottages were up in flames and the townspeople were screaming, running around. I gasped, my eyes widening.

"Run for your lives! It's Svelera! We're all doomed!" yelled a man as he ran past. I gasped, realizing the name sounded familiar.

"I thought the Svelera attacks were happening on the border towns… not this far in…" I muttered to myself. I began running again just as the others had managed to catch up to me.

"Everyone! Please do not panic! Run this way! Please, go this way!" I yelled, trying to calm the people down. I pointed to the exit of the village that led into the forest, nearby the lake.

"There is a lake over that way! Please go there, you will be safe from the fire!" I yelled, seeing the people look at me, then begin running that way. I had to quickly jump out of the way to avoid being trampled, but seeing the people all running to safety was worth it.

"Your Majesty!" Gwendal yelled, approaching me with the others not far behind. As I turned to look at him, I suddenly felt something run past me, narrowly missing me from behind, running with such force it sent my hair flying. I gasped, turning to look in the direction it had run, then frowned. I turned to run after the mystery person when suddenly another went past, a little slower and I saw short, brown hair, and brown eyes framing a female face. She looked about my height, maybe a little taller, and more feminine than me. The moment our eyes locked, she swung her arm defensively and I felt myself falling to the side. Only… there was one issue with that. The cliff. This town was right on the edge of a cliff, and I was falling off the edge. I was in that much shock, I couldn't even scream.

"Your Majesty!" Conrart yelled, running to the edge and jumping after me. I gasped, seeing him angle himself to catch me, wrapping me in his arms and trying to direct us to the safest landing. I wrapped myself up in his embrace, feeling his heartbeat. It was beating furiously. I glanced up at him in fear, seeing him cover my head with his arm.

"We've only got one shot, Your Majesty!" Conrart yelled over the roar of the wind in our ears. I glanced down at what he was talking about, seeing a small pond.

"You mean we have to aim for that? We're gonna die!" I yelled, burying my face in his chest.

"Just trust me!" He shouted back, directing us more. It was difficult, I could hear from the strain in his voice. I closed my eyes, giving up hope and preparing for the worst, but a faint bit of me wanted to believe in him. Conrart braced us for impact and I suddenly felt water hit us. We sunk into the water for a few seconds until Conrart brought us up for air. I inhaled deeply, hearing Conrart doing the same despite the water in my ears. I coughed and spluttered for a little, looking up at Conrart in wonder. How had he managed it?

Before I knew it, we were suddenly out of the water and I was being carried by Conrart. He glanced down at me in concern.

"Are you hurt, Kazumi? We hit the water hard…" Conrart asked, kneeling down and placing me on the ground. He glanced up at where we'd fallen from looking worried.

"I hope they'll be alright…" I whispered, clutching the corner of Conrart's sleeve tightly. He gave me a small smile, gently patting my head. My face heated up and I looked away quickly, avoiding eye contact.

"They should be fine… They have Gwendal and Wolfram… not to mention Hisako can take care of herself… She may act silly, but she's actually quite smart…" Conrart explained, helping me stand. I smiled at him, still holding his hand tightly.

"Yeah… but what about us?" I asked, and as if on cue, a rustle in the bushes caught our attention. I gasped, stepping behind Conrart, peering at the source. Conrart was gripping the hilt of his sword, glaring dangerously. Two figures emerged from the bushes, cloaked up.

"Y-You're the girl that pushed me off the cliff!" I exclaimed, pointing at the smaller one. She sighed, removing her cloak and I saw she was a very pretty young lady, probably in her early twenties.

"Hube… They found out…" she stated and I heard Conrart gasp, growling dangerously.

"Grisela Geigenhuber? You know you're not allowed on the soil of the Demon Kingdom! Not to mention you and this woman have tried to kill the Demon Queen! Your crimes are punishable by death!" Conrart yelled, unsheathing his sword. The two of them looked confused, glancing at each other. The male uncloaked himself and I saw a man similar looking to Gwendal standing there, looking at me.

"You seem to be mistaken, Lord Weller… We were trying to lure the fake Maoh out and get rid of her, per request of the real Maoh." he explained and I exclaimed my confusion loudly.

"What? Fake Maoh? Real Maoh? Conrart, what's going on?" I asked, walking out from behind Conrart and looking at him curiously. He gave me an equally confused look.

"Conrart… It seems this fake has you in her grasp… You should know that a little girl like that couldn't be the Maoh…" stated a smooth, lovely female voice. I gasped, recognizing it a little, and turned, seeing a woman with long, straight black hair step out. She wore a long black gown and her hair reached below her knees. I froze in horror, seeing her eyes open to pure black, her face an older version of my own.

"W-What…?" I whispered, taking a step forward, looking horrified as she smirked slightly. She continued to walk forward, stopping a few meters away from me.

"Just what is going on here…?" Conrart asked, sounding just as confused as me. I stepped closer, reaching a hand out and lightly grabbed at the sleeve of her dress.

"She's real…" I whispered, seeing her suddenly smirk darkly at me. I gasped in fear as I was suddenly hit by a blast of black energy and sent flying back. I screamed, hitting the ground hard and began rolling, stopping and laying in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Kazumi!" Conrart yelled, running to me and dropping his sword, lifting me carefully into his arms. I was barely hanging on to my consciousness, my eyes half lidded, and my teeth grit tightly. He called out to me again but all I heard was the ringing in my ears.

"Your Majesty, was it necessary to hurt her so badly? She's just a child…" The girl asked the fake, adult me. She turned to look at her.

"Nicola… Hube… We cannot allow any traitors or impersonators to get away, otherwise they will never learn their lesson." she stated coldly. Nicola gasped, stepping back, closer to Hube.

"Gegenhuber! Nicola! I've worked for Her Highness since she first arrived in this world after my mother retired! I can tell you that the Demon Queen is this young girl! That woman is a fake! Please! Help me!" Conrart yelled, making the two of them glance at each other in confusion.

"I doubt he'd lie to us…" Nicola whispered, clutching the sleeve of Hube's shirt. Hube glared at the adult Kazumi, unsheathing his sword.

"How dare you use us! You will pay with your life!" Hube shouted, running at her with his sword. The adult Kazumi smirked, chuckling. She sent out a blast of black energy again, about to kill Hube when Nicola suddenly screamed out. Conrart heard the scream, glancing down at his hands to see they were empty. He gasped, looking up to see Hube on the ground, uninjured, and myself standing there, glowing a brilliant blue. I'd changed to my Maoh form. The sky had darkened considerably and thunder and lightning crashed. I glared at her through my cat slit eyes.

"You who took on a form of my older self… Know you cannot win… I will cut you down now!" my voice boomed out from the sky. I gathered a bunch of cold ice in my hand, letting the energy burst from my hand and shoot out at her. She just smirked darkly. Her hair began dancing around madly, a black aura surrounding her. She merely held a hand out, blocking my blast. I gasped, stepping back in shock.

"Is that really the best you can do? You really haven't mastered your magic yet… Let me show you how it's done!" she snapped, her words actually coming from her mouth. Conrart gasped in shock, seeing a blast of black energy shoot from her hand, knocking my blast back to me with ease. I gasped, frozen up in fright. The attack was heading straight for me!

"Your Majesty!" Nicola screamed out, looking frightened for my safety. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for pain but none came. I suddenly heard Nicola scream loudly, making my eyes open to see Conrart standing in front of me, trying to deflect the attack with his sword. I gasped.

"Conrart!" I shouted, looking at him in worry. He glanced back at me, giving me a kind smile.

"We need to get out of here! She's way too strong! We have no way of beating her! We have to retreat back to the castle!" Conrart yelled over the sounds of the energy blasts.

"Okay… But how?" I asked, watching as his leg began to give out under the force. Conrart winced in pain, being pushed back a little.

"You're going to have to try and encase her in ice! A barricade of some kind! Anything! Just as long as it gives us enough time to make our escape!" Conrart yelled, gasping when his sword began to bend due to the force.

"Now!" He yelled and I jumped out from behind him, aiming my hands and blasting some ice energy at her, immediately encasing her in ice. She looked frozen in shock, buried in three feet thick ice. Conrart fell to one knee, panting heavily from the strain. I rushed to his side.

"Conrart! Are you alright?" I asked, holding his shoulder gently. He gave me a sheepish smile, catching his breath and standing. His sword was bent completely out of whack.

"You saved my life… Thank you…" I whispered and he chuckled.

"Last time I checked… that's what a bodyguard is supposed to do." he answered, chuckling.

"Hube! What should we do?" Nicola asked, helping Hube to his feet.

"You two helped us after you realized you'd made an error… come with us!" I stated, offering my hand to them. They glanced at each other, smiling then walked to us.

"We have to hurry! That ice won't hold her very long… and she knows where we're going…" Conrart stated, turning and running off, leading the way.

"Who is she anyway?" Nicola asked and I shook my head.

"I don't know… But whoever she is, she's an older version of me… that much I know for sure…" I replied, looking ahead as we all ran, trying to find the others so we could return to the castle. Little did we know, the fake me had broken out of her ice prison and was ready to begin the chase.


	15. Now's Not the Time to Die!

"Are you absolutely certain?" Gwendal exclaimed when Conrart and Kazumi told him why they ran all the way back to the castle. They were both all out of breath and tired, and so were the horses.

"Positive… She even said herself that she was the Maoh…" Conrart stated, standing beside Gwendal as he explained everything to him.

"But who would have the means to make something like that?" Gwendal asked, wondering how she'd even gained physical form. Kazumi sat on a bench inside the palace, looking sadly at her hands.

'_How on earth was I going to beat her?'_ She thought. '_According to everyone, I'm the strongest demon in the Demon Kingdom… but I barely scratched her… Even Conrart, who had no magical ability at all, managed to last longer against her. She's superior to me in every way, after all, she's an older version of me. I sighed in defeat, letting my forehead rest against my intertwined hands.'_

"Kazumi?" Yuri asked, sitting next to her. Nicola had sat on the other side of her. She sighed again.

"Come on, sis, tell me what's wrong." Yuri pleaded, resting his hand gently on her knee. She looked down at his hand, feeling a little comforted. She looked up at him and he instantly understood.

"Ah, I get it… You're feeling pretty useless due to not being able to hurt her at all… You shouldn't let a few years get you down. It's not your fault." Yuri stated, removing his hand from her knee and wrapping it over her shoulders. She gave a weak smile.

"Your Majesty… I apologize for my behavior and my husbands… Can you please forgive us?" Nicola asked and she smiled at her, nodding.

"Of course, Nicola… I welcome the two of you to the Great Demon Kingdom… Why don't you stay and help out occasionally at the castle?" She offered and she nodded, smiling brightly.

"With pleasure, Your Majesty, at least until our child is born." Nicola stated, gently patting at her stomach. Kazumi blinked in confusion, wondering what she meant until it hit her. She let out a small squeal, grabbing her hands and smiling brightly.

"Seriously, Nicola? Congratulations!" She yelled, catching everyone's attention. She giggled, grabbing her hands just as tightly.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I'm hoping we'll be very happy here!" She stated. Suddenly something dawned on her.

"Wait… you're a human, aren't you? Hube's a demon… so that means… that the baby's going to be…" She asked, trying not to sound offensive. Nicola just smiled, gently patting her belly.

"That's right… The baby'll be a half demon… Just like Lord Weller and the two of you." Nicola stated, giving them a pretty smile. She smiled back, standing up and offering Nicola her hand.

"Come on, let's get you out of those street clothes. A pretty, young, soon-to-be-mum deserves to wear beautiful clothing! I'll let you have something of mine that Gunter had made! We look about the same size." She offered. Nicola gratefully accepted her hand and she pulled her to her feet, leading her inside the castle.

"Wait! Kazumi!" Hisako yelled, making the said girl stop and look at her. She ran up to her, stopping and giving her a serious look.

"Don't be frightened by the fake Maoh… You have one thing she doesn't." Hisako stated, her gaze deadly serious. _'I'd never seen Hisako look so serious before, it kinda threw me off.' _Kazumi thought to herself.

"I have one thing she doesn't? What's that?" She asked, blinking in confusion.

"Youth. That's all I can really tell you…" Hisako stated, her expression suddenly becoming a smile as she skipped off, giggling. Kazumi raised a brow. _'How the hell was that supposed to help me now?'_

"Your friend is odd." Nicola whispered and Kazumi looked at her, giggling.

"Oh, she's odd alright… Let's go!" She stated, leading Nicola into the castle.

Gwendal watched where they'd left, then turned to look at Hube with a glare.

"You have some nerve to return… You haven't even found the demon flute yet…" Gwendal stated but Hube gave him a smirk instead.

"I have actually… Here's your Demon Flute." Hube stated, reaching into his pocket and handing Gwendal a soprano recorder. Gwendal looked at it in astonishment, and then looked up at Hube in shock.

"That aside! You were banished from here!" Gwendal stated, reaching to the hilt of his sword.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Yuri yelled, beginning to panic at the thought of someone being killed in front of him.

"Gwendal… Her Highness has welcomed Hube, Nicola and their unborn child here into the Great Demon Kingdom… You don't want to go against her word again and find out the result, do you?" Conrart stated seriously, taunting Gwendal a little. Gwendal froze suddenly as he remembered the ice gold glare the young queen had given him earlier before they left. He removed his hand and coughed, clearing his throat.

"Y-You're right… We can't go against Her Highness's wishes." Gwendal stated more to himself as Conrart chuckled.

"Enough of all this! Are we even planning for this attack that we know is coming or not?" Wolfram screeched from where he stood, flailing his arms around madly. All eyes went to him as he stood there, arms crossed and pouting. Hisako was the first to answer him, walking to him with a serious look.

"Don't worry… this is something we can't do much about… This is Kazumi's battle… All we have to do is support her." Hisako answered, winking at him. Wolfram blinked in shock, jumping back a little. He looked at the others in disbelief.

"We have no choice but to follow Her Eminence's orders…" Gunter stated sadly, knowing there was no point arguing. Gwendal sighed to himself.

"Sometimes I wonder who put that girl in charge…" he muttered, sighing.

"Excuse me… But… That boy there… Is he Her Majesty's brother?" Hube asked, pointing at Yuri. Yuri blinked in confusion, pointing to himself.

"Who, me? Yeah, I'm her twin brother!" Yuri stated, smiling while rubbing the back of his head.

"Twins… I might need to read more up about it…" Hube stated to himself, earning a curious look from Conrart and Gwendal.

"Oh, I recall reading something about twins somewhere… but I can't remember its significance or what it said… Just that it was something ominous…" Hube explained, looking serious. The others looked at him in worry, glancing at each other.

"Oh! This dress will look pretty on you!" Kazumi exclaimed, grabbing the lovely light pink dress Lady Celi had prepared for her. She handed it to Nicola and helped her change into it. She brushed her hair a little, laughing as they talked and told each other jokes. Once they were done, the double black began leading her back to the others.

"Your Majesty? Shouldn't we be preparing for battle?" Nicola asked as they walked down the halls. She stopped, looking down at the floor. Her arms began trembling, so she held my right arm tightly, trying to stop the shaking. Nicola's face fell in sympathy as she walked to her, wrapping her arm over the younger girl's shoulder and she began leading her back to the others.

"Forget I asked anything… I'm sorry… that was insensitive of me… You're scared." Nicola stated, calming her down a little as we arrived where everyone else was.

"Nicola, that dress looks beautiful on you!" Hube said as he saw Nicola walk towards him. Kazumi stayed where she'd decided to stop, looking down at her hand. _'How was I supposed to use what Hisako had said to my advantage? What did my youth have to do with anything? How was I supposed to win?'_ She thought. As she wondered and thought, going through all the possibilities in her head, her hand began shaking. When she realized what was happening, she noticed that her whole arm was shaking violently. She tried to steady her breathing, but couldn't manage. She turned, quickly walking off. She walked a little distance away before she broke out in a sprint. The tears had begun falling down her face relentlessly. I wiped at them as she continued running, making my way to the fountain. It was a nice small fountain we'd had installed recently and she found it very soothing.

She sat on the rim of it, leaning forward on it and letting her hair fall in front of her face. The tears fell like a waterfall and she sniffled, not even bothering to wipe them away. She was pressing my weight on my hands anyway, staring into the water. Not even the sound of the water splashing ever so gently could calm her.

"Kazumi?" asked a familiar voice and she gasped, turning to look at the source, seeing Conrart standing there, giving her a worried look. Her eyes widened and she blinked as she realized he was seeing me in her worst state. She lowered her head, looking back at the water, trying to hide her. This just made Conrart walk closer, kneeling beside her and placing a hand gently on her knee.

"Kazumi… Look at me, please?" Conrart pleaded, holding her knee firmly, yet gently. She tried to resist, but she found myself turning to look at him. Her face was tear stained and her hair was stuck to her face from her tears. Conrart's face softened when he noticed the trembling in her arms and shoulders.

"Oh, Kazumi…" he whispered, suddenly hugging her to his chest. She froze, blinking in shock. Conrart's arms wrapped around her tightly, one supporting the back of her head, the other gently patting her back. She began to relax, feeling safe in his arms.

"I'm scared…" She admitted, clinging to the material of his shirt. Conrart just hugged her tighter.

"I know… I know… She was extremely powerful but I have faith in you… We all do… We know you can beat her…" Conrart encouraged, cupping her face in his hands as he looked at her in the eyes. She couldn't pull or look away, and watched as his expression filled her with the courage she'd been missing. She felt completely relaxed for the few seconds she stared into his eyes. Conrart smiled gently, using his thumbs to wipe the tears off her face, then he lowered his hands to hers. He stood, pulling her up to her feet as well.

"Feel a little better? Just relax, be yourself… Be alert and use what you have… I believe you'll be fine, because I believe in you". Conrart stated, holding her hands tightly in his. His large, slightly calloused hands felt incredibly comforting and warm. Her hands seemed to fit perfectly in them.

"Conrart… How is it you always seem to know how to make me feel better? You fill me with confidence when I'm feeling scared… You make me happy when I'm scared… You calm me down when I'm mad… How do you do it?" She whispered, longing for the answer. Conrart gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm not sure… I guess we're just compatible…" he stated, smiling down at her. She felt his hands tighten around hers, and she felt the breeze blow around. Suddenly the sound of an explosion made their hands disconnect and they both gasped, turning to look at the cloud of smoke and dust that was rising from the castle gates.

"Oh no! Yuri and the others were there!" She yelled, taking off into a sprint as Conrart followed close behind her. When they finally arrived at the gate, they saw everyone except Yuri and Hisako unconscious on the floor. Yuri and Hisako were winded and laying on the ground, but they were conscious.

"Yuri! Everyone!" She shouted, skidding to a stop when she saw her fake self standing by the gate. She was glowing a dangerous shade of black and had a wicked smirk on her face. She felt all of her courage flood out of herself in an instant. Her eyes widened as she froze, beginning to step back.

"Kazumi! I'll help you! There's no need to be scared of her! You can beat her!" Conrart yelled, unsheathing his sword and standing beside me. She was completely frozen in fear. She couldn't budge or move. She almost forgot to breathe as well.

"Kazumi! Snap out of it!" Conrart yelled, trying to get her attention. I couldn't hear him. The only thing on her mind and in her sight was her. She raised a hand, sending a sudden blast of energy at her, hitting her. She screamed in pain as she was sent flying, landing into the ground painfully.

"Kazumi!" Conrart yelled, turning to look back at her crumpled body on the floor. He froze in horror, seeing that she wasn't moving. He turned back to glance at the fake Kazumi, seeing her readying herself for another attack. He gasped, dropping his sword and running back to the real Kazumi. Everything seemed to run in slow motion as he tried to race against the attack. The fake Kazumi laughed wickedly as she sent the blast at the real one, seeing Conrart reach her, falling to his knees and shielding her body with his own. He cried out in pain, the energy feeling like it was tearing at his skin.

"Lord Weller!" Gisela yelled out in worry as she watched the attack from where she stood. She'd arrived with the soldiers and witnessed the attack, seeing everyone else lying across the floor. When the attack was finished, Conrart fell weakly to his elbows, still covering and protecting his precious queen's body with his own.

"Kazumi… wake up… please…" Conrart pleaded weakly, trembling from exhaustion. Her eyes remained closed,hery body twisted in the position it had landed in.

"_Kazumi… Come on child… wake up" Called a warm familiar voice. She struggled to open her eyes. She was in a world of pain and felt like she was broken._

"_No… it hurts too much." She protested, turning her head to the side. A warm hand rested on her cheek, stirring some life into her. She slowly opened her eyes to see a gold, hazy background. Everything felt tingly and numb. She could see someone in front of her. The woman in front of her was incredibly beautiful. Her hair was long and white, a streak of different color hair down her left side. Her eyes looked blank and blue. She wore a beautiful white and purple gown._

"_My dear Kazumi… it is time to return… You must fight and defeat her, otherwise everyone will die. Conrart is defending you with his life, but he will die in a few minutes if you cannot open your eyes! Please my child… Just try, I will help you." she pleaded, extending her hand to the younger girl, requesting her hand in return. She reached for her, her surroundings turning pure white as it all disappeared._

Everything suddenly exploded in a burst of color as blue flames danced around her body. Her hair danced wildly as once the explosion of flames died, Gisela gasped to see her kneeling there, hugging Conrart's unconscious body. She had a glare on her face that would scare even Gwendal. Her fake self gasped, seeing her lay him flat on the ground and stand, her hair dancing madly.

"You will pay for the sins you've committed on my home turf… Now prepare to feel justice!" Her voice boomed from the sky, making her gasp as she looked up at it. She glared spitefully at her, gritting her teeth. She looked like she was being contorted by anger or hatred.

"I am the true queen! He said that if I kill you, I can be the real Kazumi! I won't let you take that spot away from me! I will be real!" She screamed, sending out a blast at the real Kazumi. She raised her hands, sending a counter blast at her. The fake growled in anger as her blast overpowered hers, hitting her and sending her hair flying back as she reverted to normal, throwing her head back in a scream. She somehow remained standing as the blast hit her, tearing at her. It felt like her skin was being torn from my limbs. Her scream echoed out through the courtyard.

"Kazumi!" yelled Conrart weakly from where he laid. He gasped, looking horrified as he saw the young queen trying to hold her own against the attack. Just when she felt like giving in and falling down, a hand took hold of her wrist firmly, pulling her back forward. She was being shielded by the attack and being given the strength to continue on. She opened her eyes and gasped, seeing the woman from my dream. She was smiling gently at her, not even being affected by the attack, shielding her from harm.

Conrart had seen her appear, as had Gisela. They both gasped in shock, watching in disbelief.

"Suzanna Julia von Wittcott…" they whispered, tears forming in their eyes at seeing an old friend. Julia floated around behind me, holding her wrists out to support them. She smiled kindly by her side.

"Your friend Hisako was right… your youth is your advantage, it makes it easier for you to learn new things, to try them and succeed… give it a go, try something new and defeat her!" Julia encouraged, winking at her. She gasped, finally realizing what they meant. She nodded, turning to look at the fake me. She closed my eyes, deciding to change my tactic.

My hair danced wildly as she changed, but instead of a blue glow, she went with a different approach. She began glowing gold. Julia nodded, glowing white as we sent out blasts of this new energy at her. The fake Kazumi gasped, screaming out protests as they hit her, making her scream in agony. It only took about thirty seconds until she suddenly collapsed to the floor, trembling. Kazumi stopped her attack, seeing Julia had disappeared. She sighed in relief, walking towards the fake.

"I just… I just wanted… to be real…" she whispered weakly, her eyes closing as she stopped moving. She became very still, passing on to the next world. The real Kazumi sighed, realizing that was the end of that.

"Well, that takes care of that…" She muttered, feeling all her strength suddenly leave her as she collapsed to a heap on the ground.

"Your Majesty!" screamed out Gisela as both her and Conrart rushed to her aid, hoping and praying that she was alright.


	16. Decisions and Premonitions

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Wolfram asked from my bedside, glancing at Kazum in worry. Gunter looked down sadly, not having an answer to his question.

"I'll go fetch Gisela" he stated, retreating out the room as Conrart entered, looking in the direction of her bed. He looked just as miserable as he approached Wolfram, sitting on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on Wolfram's shoulder. Wolfram glanced up at him, sighing as he looked back down.

"Conrart… are you sure you saw Lady Julia during Kazumi's fight?" Wolfram asked, sounding hesitant. Conrart blinked in shock, not having expected Wolfram to call him by his first name. He smiled gently.

"I'm sure, both Gisela and I saw her…" Conrart explained, chuckling lightly. Wolfram bit his lip, sighing.

"I guess that proves it then, Kazumi is Julia's reincarnation after all. She is the true ruler of the Demon Kingdom" Wolfram stated. He was still miserable over the fact that she hadn't woken up yet. Conrart gave a serious look, looking down again. Just as Conrart was about to speak again, the door opened to reveal Yuri, Hisako and Gisela.

"Is she still unconscious?" Yuri asked, approaching the two as Gisela knelt by the bedside, grabbing my wrist and checking me over.

"She won't wake up… It's been four days now… The town's beginning to panic… Everyone's sad and offering gifts to the castle in hope of Kazumi waking up" Conrart explained, his hand still resting on Wolfram's shoulder. Hisako frowned, not liking the way this was going.

"Lord Weller? May I talk to you?" Hisako asked, tilting her head. Conrart looked up at her, then nodded standing and walking after her as they exited the room. Wolfram, Yuri and Gisela watched them leave, then their attention turned back to me.

Conrart leaned against the wall a fair distance from the door, waiting for Hisako to say what she wanted. Hisako gave him a serious look.

"Lord Weller… you do know that Kazumi's falling in love with you, right?" Hisako asked, making Conrart gasp in shock, his eyes widening considerably. He stood there, stunned for a few seconds. He just couldn't believe what she'd said. It took him some time to process it before he blinked, still looking shocked.

"She's… falling for me? How can you tell?" Conrart asked, trying desperately to prove her wrong, find a flaw, any flaw.

"I've known Kazumi how long, Lord Weller? I've known her for years. I can tell her emotions based by how she acts and her expressions. I've seen the way she looks at you and acts around you, she's slowly becoming head over heels. If you keep playing the 'white knight in shining armor' she's going to fall helplessly. Do you want that?" Hisako explained, questioning him. Conrart didn't know how to respond. He cared about Kazumi, he truly did, but he didn't want to burden her with his issues, flaws and distract her from her duties. He couldn't stand to be in a relationship, especially after losing Julia, his best friend. He couldn't bear the thought of being any closer to someone and then losing them. He gave Hisako a serious, dark expression.

"No, I'll pull away from her, distance myself. I don't want to get in her way, and after all, she deserves better" Conrart answered. Hisako looked a little shocked, but smiled in understanding.

"I understand Lord Weller… we should probably return now" Hisako stated, heading back to the bedroom. She stopped, turning to look at Conrart when she realized he hadn't moved.

"Lord Weller?" she asked. Conrart turned to look at her, still wearing his dark, expressionless look.

"You go, Your Eminence, I'm going to go patrol the castle" Conrart answered, turning and walking off. He held his head up high, trying to maintain his dignity as he cursed himself for what he was about to do. He knew this was going to hurt Kazumi, but it was for her own good, or that's what he thought anyway.

Hisako returned into the room, noticing them all look up at her. She gave them a smile then explained how Conrart had gone on patrol.

"Honestly! Kazumi's lying in bed, probably suffering, and he goes off on patrol?" Wolfram snapped, punching the bed. Yuri put a hand on his shoulder, giving him an understanding expression.

"Don't worry, he probably had a good reason" Yuri explained, smiling at him. Yuri then glanced up at his sister, looking worried.

"I can't seem to find anything wrong… It's odd… There's nothing physically wrong with her. I don't understand why she doesn't wake up" Gisela stated, standing and looking at me sadly.

"Come on Sis… you gotta wake up… you have to!" Yuri stated, gently putting his hand on mine. He closed his eyes, laying his face down near their hands.

"I'll come back soon with refreshments for you all" Gisela stated, turning and walking to the door. She stopped by the door; turning to look back at the queen again and then exited the room.

"Come on, Kazumi… don't let us down" Hisako stated, gently putting a hand on Wolfram's shoulder, showing concern for him for the first time.

**Kazumi**

_I ran down the hallway, my lungs were aching for air. I had to stop it! I had to stop what was about to happen! I didn't know what it was, but something terrible was about to happen. I turned the corner, heading for the grand ball room. I could see lights and hear music, so I assumed everyone was there. As I entered the room, I was blinded by a bright light. I covered my eyes with my hand, wincing from how bright it was. When I adjusted, I gasped to see I was in some fancy, Victorian style dress and my hair had been curled and placed out tightly in one of those old hairstyles. I had jewels galore on and I had a tight corset on too. I looked around, stunned as I saw everyone else in the same style of clothing and wore masquerade masks. I had no idea what was going on._

"_Conrart? Wolfram? Yuri? Anyone?" I called out, looking around for them. Everyone suddenly began laughing. I blinked in shock, wondering what was so funny. That was when I spotted her. Her long black hair was a dead giveaway. I growled, running after her. I pushed the other people away, heading out the room and down the next hall. I could still hear their laughter and it seemed to haunt my thoughts, playing on constant repeat. As I saw her turn a corner, I picked up the pace, lifting the skirt so I could run._

_When I turned the corner, I was blinded by bright light again. When I opened my eyes, I was suddenly in my lounge room back home. I saw her standing across from me, her back turned to me. I growled, about to take a step forward._

"_Didn't you learn your lesson? You can't just pretend to be someone!" I snapped. She slowly turned to face me, a wicked smirk on her face. I gasped, seeing young, innocent eyes looking at me. She was an exact copy of me! Nothing was different about our appearance, if anyone looked at us, they wouldn't be able to tell us apart. She suddenly began giggling insanely, looking at me with a crazed look._

"_Stunned are we?" she laughed. I growled, trying to recover from my shock. Suddenly the door opened and both of us looked to see Yuri enter the house. He smiled, walking to us._

"_Yuri! Can't you see her?" I asked but froze when he suddenly walked to the fake, grinning a smile at her. I gasped, looking horrified and hurt._

"_B-But… why?" I asked, looking down at my hands when I gasped, seeing my hands and entire body were see-through. I looked up at the scene before me in horror when she turned and smirked at me._

"_Not nice being ignored, is it? That's how I've felt all this time, being ignored by you! Now feel the pain I've felt all my life!" she snapped, throwing a small knife, piercing my chest. I gasped, staggering against the wall as I looked down, seeing it protruding from my left half of my chest. I felt like I couldn't breathe, she'd just pierced my lung. As my vision began to fade and I felt myself collapsing, I saw her laugh hysterically, one eye becoming a little bigger than the other. My world went black._

**Normal**

Yuri suddenly gasped from where he sat, clutching his chest in pain as he suddenly struggled to breathe. Wolfram gasped, standing up and began patting at Yuri's back, praying that that would help him. Yuri was just about to collapse when he saw Kazumi's eyes slowly open. He gasped for air suddenly, breathing heavily to recover.

"Kazumi!" Hisako exclaimed happily, rushing to where she lay on the bed. Kazumi looked around in a daze, seeing Yuri covered in sweat and struggling to catch his breath. She pulled herself up, looking at him in concern as Wolfram continued patting his back.

"Yuri?" She asked, my grip on his hand tightening. Yuri sat back up straight, giving her a weak smile.

"I felt like I couldn't breathe… I think it was our link… you know, being twins and all… Did you dream something bad?" Yuri asked, shifting himself so he was hugging her. She blinked in shock, hugging him back.

"Kinda… I don't remember much though…" She replied, resting her chin on his shoulder. Yuri's grip on me tightened and she found myself clinging to him. She looked around at Hisako, Wolfram and Yuri.

"Where's everyone else?" She asked, having expected nearly everyone in here. Hisako smiled at her, sitting near her as well.

"Gwendal's doing the paperwork that you missed for four days, Gunter's helping Yozak comfort the people cause they've been worried sick about you, bringing gifts and everything for you to get better, and Conrart's gone on patrol" Hisako explained. She nodded, looking down.

"Well, shall we go get some food then?" She asked, letting them get off the bed as she pulled back the blankets, standing shakily. Yuri put her arm over his shoulder, helping her stand as they walked out, heading to the dining hall. When they entered, the maids gasped in delight.

"Your Majesty, you're awake! Thank heavens! I'll go alert everyone! You guys go make Her Highness something right now!" exclaimed Doria, running out happily to go tell everyone the good news. Kazumi giggled, being sat down by Yuri before he sat next to her. She gave him a smile, assuring him that she was fine.

"Honestly… What does Lord Weller think he's doing? He should be running in here, exclaiming how overjoyed he is!" Wolfram growled, clenching his hands into fists. Kazumi blinked at him in shock. 'Since when did he care about how Conrart acted?' She thought. 'Had he noticed a change in Conrart's behavior or something?'

"He's just going through a tough time, give him a break" Hisako stated, patting Wolfram's shoulder. Wolfram huffed to himself, looking away.

"His duty is to Kazumi, no matter what he's going through, he should be putting her first at all times!" Wolfram snapped, looking furious.

"Right, and you totally do that all the time?" Hisako asked sarcastically, making Wolfram shut up quickly. I burst out into laughter, causing Wolfram to begin blushing.

"Your Highness! You're alright!" Gunter exclaimed suddenly, running into the room with Gwendal and Gisela following after him. Gunter rushed to Kazumi, hugging her tightly in his arms. She relaxed, used to his tackle hugs.

"So… now you should be able to return to your duties soon. Thank goodness, I was getting sick of doing all that signing" Gwendal grumbled, but he wore a small smile. She smiled back at him, looking at him over Gunter's shoulder.

"Thank goodness, Your Highness! I was beginning to worry you weren't going to wake up" Gisela stated, giving jer a quick hug after she'd plucked Gunter off of her. She hugged her back, smiling as Lasagna came in with a bowl of stew.

"Ooh, that looks good" I stated, grabbing a spoonful and blew to cool it. Yuri chuckled from where he sat, watching her eat happily.

"Glad to see you haven't lost your appetite" Yuri stated, earning a glare from her.

"Food like this is too good to waste!" She said proudly, giving Lasagna a wink before she skipped off happily to the kitchen. Just as she was halfway through my meal, the door opened to reveal Conrart. Wolfram stood from his chair, growling.

"You're late, Lord Weller!" he snapped, looking furious. Kazumi turned, looking at him with a small smile that disappeared when she wasn't greeted back with one like he usually did. His eyes looked almost cold. She blinked, looking confused as he walked up to her.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Your Highness… Everyone was getting worried" he stated, sounding emotionless, like a robot. Hisako gave him a serious look, looking down at the table, her glasses hiding her eyes as the sun reflected off them. Kazumi looked up at him, wondering what had happened.

"Conrart? Are you alright?" She asked, tilting her head in curiosity. He merely closed his eyes for a few seconds, opening them again.

"I'm fine, Your Highness, please do not waste your time on me. Your studies and paperwork require your effort, so focus on them please" Conrart replied, sounding almost snappy as he turned, walking off. Wolfram, Yuri, Gisela, Gunter and Gwendal all looked shock or horrified at his words. Kazumi's eyes widened as she watched his figure retreat from the room. She continued watching the door for a few more seconds before she realized he wasn't coming back.

"What's with him? He's been acting weird all day today!" Wolfram snapped, looking downright furious.

"I agree with what he said, but I don't like how he said it… I agree, that's out of Conrart's behavior" Gwendal stated, his arms folded. Kazumie looked down at her food, no longer having an appetite. Hisako was looking out the window now, minding her own business.

"I'll go have a talk with him, he needs to be taught some manners!" Gunter said angrily, about to exit the room after him.

"Wait! Don't, Gunter… He's right… Don't go after Conrart…" Kazumi pleaded, still looking down at the bowl, her hair hiding her face. Yuri looked at her sympathetically.

"Kazumi…" he whispered, gently patting the top of her head. She sighed, pushing the bowl away as she stood.

"He's right. I need to focus on my studies and get this kingdom back to normal. You said the people were worried. Correct, Hisako?" Kazumi asked. Hisako looked up at her, noticing the determination in her eyes. She nodded.

"Alright, then our first task is to put them at ease. I'm going into town to let them all know I'm fine now" She stated, turning and leaving to go to my room.

"We'll hold a parade! Get the guards ready this instant!" Gunter exclaimed, sending a guard off to alert the others. As she walked to my room, she tried to ignore how Conrart had treated her earlier. 'Why had he done that?' She thought. 'Had I done something wrong? I just didn't know the answer.'


	17. Consequences at the Ball

**Kazumi**

"It's unforgivable! He shouldn't be allowed to treat you in such a way! Not any woman and especially not you!" Wolfram grumbled, pacing in the study. We'd already performed the parade and I had just finished all my paperwork for the day. Everyone else was off to their own duties. Yuri had recently dropped the bomb on me that he'd begun training with Conrart to work in the military. He wanted to help me by helping to command our army. I didn't really want him to get hurt, but I knew what he's like. Once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it.

"I can't forgive him! I won't forgive him!" Wolfram snapped, slamming his hands on the desk. I jumped, leaning back in my seat away from him.

"It's fine, he's probably having a rough day, don't worry so much" I suggested, trying to calm the fuming youngest brother. I swear I could see sparks coming off of him; he was that furious. I felt a cold sweat break down my neck, so I got up, walking to the window and looked out of it. I froze for a second when I saw Conrart sitting on the edge of the fountain where I had my breakdown on. He looked so sad. Despite what he'd said earlier, I still felt a sharp stabbing pain in my chest as I longed to go down there and talk to him. I needed to say something, anything to him, it was like a ritual for us to sit and talk. Now that he was suddenly giving me the cold shoulder, everything seemed surreal. I felt a stinging sensation at my eyes. Wolfram noticed I was ignoring him and came to see what I was looking at. He growled as soon as he saw Conrart and then noticed my expression.

"Come on, Kazumi! You don't need him!" Wolfram suddenly snapped, grabbing my wrist and suddenly pulling me away. I blinked at him in shock. Wolfram was acting really weird lately. Normally Wolfram was the one giving me the cold shoulder and Conrart would be the one supporting me, now it was the other way around.

"Come on, let's find something fun to do! What sort of stuff was it you liked to do again? Dancing, wasn't it?" Wolfram asked, scratching his head as he tried to remember. I burst into giggles; the expression on his face was utterly adorable. Wolfram really was too cute for his own good sometimes. Sometimes I saw the appeal of teasing him that Hisako must see, but I don't see him as a romantic interest, he's more like a brother to me. Not that I need any more brothers…

"Ballet, it's a type of dance where you stand on the point of your feet." I explained, demonstrating by standing on the point of my right foot and stretched my left leg up horizontally. Wolfram looked stunned, then put on his determined face. I reverted back to normal and then watched him have a go. He didn't get very far. His left leg that he tried to put horizontally was bent and he stumbled forward, landing on his face. I burst out into laughter, holding my sides as I tried not to cry. Wolfram lifted his face off the ground, covered in dirt. He glared at me, resting his chin on his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…" he grumbled, not looking amused. I managed to control my giggles, wiping my eyes then offered him my hand.

"Let's try that again, shall we?" I offered, tilting my head at him. Wolfram sighed, giving me his hand as I helped pull him to his feet. He turned, pointing his right leg forward before his left, holding his hands out horizontally.

"Okay, so what do I do now?" he asked, turning to look at me. I walked to his left side.

"Okay, go on point now, rise, and now begin lifting your left leg. I'll help hold you steady" I instructed, holding his left leg straight when he lifted it high enough. He just looked like a plank now.

"Straighten your back so it's in line with your leg that's on the ground, not the one in the air." I explained, using one hand to straighten his leg as I put a hand on his shoulder, helping him straighten his back. Wolfram grit his teeth, struggling to stay up. I couldn't help but giggle a little.

"How the hell do you do this Kazumi? This is torture!" Wolfram asked, finally breaking out of the hold and falling on his knees. He winced from the pain in his leg, looking up at me.

"Um, do you like to do anything less painful?" Wolfram asked, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head. I giggled, helping him up.

"Sure, I like singing, painting – pretty much anything artistic." I stated, seeing Wolfram's face light up. He suddenly grabbed my wrist, dragging me away.

**Normal**

Conrart had seen Wolfram drag Kazumi away from the window. He'd seen the expression on her beautiful face and instantly felt a pang of guilt in his gut. He wanted to stab himself with his own sword for how he was treating her, but he knew it was no use. He could never go back now, not after what he'd done. He sighed, standing and began walking to the small courtyard between the buildings. He stopped, suddenly spotting Wolfram and the girl who wouldn't leave his thoughts. He raised a brow, seeing Wolfram try to perform a ballet stance and fall flat on his face.

Conrart covered his mouth, trying to bite back a chuckle. He didn't want to give away that he was there, watching them, but he knew they wouldn't hear him over Kazumi's loud laughter. He stood in the shadows, watching as she helped Wolfram again, holding him steady. Conrart found himself smiling, feeling almost envious of his little brother. When Wolfram fell again, he chuckled, covering his mouth again. The boy really did have no sense of balance. He looked up when Wolfram suddenly dragged Kazumi off somewhere, then sighed, walking in the opposite direction.

**Kazumi**

I blinked, frozen to the spot. I'm not sure if I should've been in awe or disgust at what I was seeing. Wolfram's paintings were… unusual to say the least… It looked like some child had painted it, and they smelt funny too. I took a step inside; turning and looking at all his painting that were hanging in the studio.

"Well? What do you think? Impressive, right?" he asked, sounding very proud. I turned to look at him, refraining from twitching my eye.

"U-Um… very… unique! Very unique!" I stated, giggling halfheartedly. Wolfram raised his head up in pride, his arms crossed. He seemed pleased with that compliment. I sighed internally, thankful for my quick thinking. I turned, looking at more of his paintings before I noticed one that smelled very bad in particular. I leaned in, taking a sniff before retreating back quickly, covering my nose.

"W-What's that foul smell?" I asked, sounding funny through my blocked nose. Wolfram chuckled.

"Bearbee excrement!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"Y-You mean you painted this out of crap? Who does this kind of stuff these days?" I asked, stepping further back from the paintings. Wolfram laughed triumphantly.

"I have mastered the art of painting with excrement, therefore if you have any questions, please ask me. You're welcome to use my studio anytime to do your own paintings, Kazumi" Wolfram explained, chuckling more.

"Um, alright… my first question, how long does the smell usually last for?" I asked, earning a surprised look from him.

It had been a week since I woke up and a week since Conrart had started giving me the cold shoulder. I sighed, not feeling in the mood for this. I had the maids put a dress on me. They had already managed to get the under garments on and were working on fixing up the dress. They tightened it, tying it up in a pretty ribbon.

Apparently according to Gunter, we needed to throw a ball to celebrate my awakening. I don't see why it needed celebrating a week after! I honestly just think he was looking for an excuse to hold a ball. I sighed, sitting there as they did my hair and make-up as well. I looked in the mirror and thought I looked bloody ridiculous. But they insisted I looked gorgeous and that I might land myself a fiancé at this ball. I don't want that! Get it through your heads already!

I growled, stomping out the room awkwardly to see Gunter, Hisako, Wolfram and Gwendal waiting for me in the hallway. I gave them a small smile, walking to them awkwardly. The high-heeled shoes the maids had put me in were ridiculously high; I thought I was going to break my ankle.

"I see the maids worked their magic on you too…" Hisako asked regrettably. She seemed to be fairing even worse than me. Suddenly she smiled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the next room, closing the door.

"Lucky for us, I got these at a market being held in town! They're comfortable and low heeled. And because of these dresses, the maids will never know." Hisako stated sneakily, handing me my own pair. I giggled, sitting on the bed and taking my own shoes off, putting the new ones on before handing the deadly heels to Hisako.

"I'll just put these somewhere and then we're all set!" Hisako stated, putting the box in a corner of the room, then led me out again. When she opened the door, she smiled innocently, a big grin on her face.

"All done!" she stated, giggling. I raised a brow. Was this really okay? The maids did work so hard after all.

"What are you two doing outside my room?" asked a voice and we all turned to see Conrart standing there in an impressive white suit. I almost didn't recognize him as first, but when I saw the cold look in his eyes I quickly looked away.

"Kazumi and I were just swapping our shoes for some comfortable ones. Hope you don't mind, I left them in your room for the moment, that way the maids don't find out" Hisako asked, giving him a grin. Conrart sighed, letting his shoulders sag.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he asked, walking past us, his shoulder brushing mine roughly as I stumbled, Gunter was there to support me before I fell. I didn't even bother looking up at Conrart, I knew he hadn't stopped to give me any thought, he'd just continued on.

"Guys… I don't feel up to this… I'm really not in the mood for parties… I just want to go to my room…" I mumbled. Gunter looked at me sympathetically.

"At least give them your presence for a few minutes, your brother is there keeping them all entertained as we speak. Grace them with your presence and if you still don't feel up to it, you may leave" Gunter offered. I sighed, nodding as I followed after him, sticking close to him. Wolfram was leading Hisako to the party as well. Gwendal just tagged along behind. I sighed when we entered the grand hall, seeing all the people around in fancy dress clothing and Yuri amongst a group, talking to them nervously. I couldn't help but smile as I noticed most of the people surrounding him were young women. They were all over him because he was the Maoh's brother, a perfect chance to get in the castle. Yuri spotted me and managed to weave his way through their snaking hands, running to me.

"Finally… I thought I was going to get smothered… You don't look well… are you alright?" Yuri asked, tilting his head. I gave him a weak smile, nodding.

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed… I'll be fine" I replied, stepping down the stairs with Gunter's aid, then watched him walk away as I was left with Yuri and Gwendal. Wolfram and Hisako had disappeared somewhere along the way.

"I just want this to be over…" I mumbled, hearing a small chuckle from Gwendal. I turned to look at him, managing a smile at him. He gave me a small smile back.

"Look, Conrart's coming this way!" Yuri stated, gaining my attention. I looked up, still not feeling too great, seeing him walking to us. He still looked cold and distant. He has been avoiding me constantly and was giving me horrible attitude for some reason, and it had just been getting worse. It was becoming too much to even be in the same room with him.

"Your Majesty… Yuri… Brother… good evening to you" he stated. I frowned, why had he reverted to calling me that? I'd finally gotten him to call me by my first name, and now he'd reverted to this again.

"Why do they get special treatment?" I mumbled, unable to help myself. Conrart raised a brow.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?" he asked, not understanding the question. I looked down at the floor, my hands clenched tightly, and my shoulders shaking.

"You heard me! I asked why you're doing this! Why are you suddenly treating me like a stranger? I'm sick of it! Go back to how you were before! I want the old Conrart back! Not this new one that treats me like a demonic queen!" I snapped, looking up at him to see the shock in his face.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Conrart tried to say but I'd had enough. I needed to punish him somehow! I did the instinctive thing and slapped Conrart with my right hand, making contact with his left cheek. Gwendal gasped, Conrart looked stunned, Yuri looked worried and the entire crowd had suddenly gone very quiet. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my shaking shoulders.

"Stop calling me 'Your Majesty'! I have a name! Use it!" I shouted out, turning and running up the stairs quickly, heading back to my room. I never should have come out to this party. it was a big mess. I knew I had probably just done something incredibly stupid, knowing my luck! As I ran down the hallway that led to my bedroom, my vision began blurring with tears. I wiped at them with my wrists, still running when I stepped on the trim of my dress, stumbling, slumping against the wall. I sniffed, wiping at my eyes again.

"Kazumi?" asked a voice and I turned, looking up to see Wolfram of all people. He looked concerned for me, holding out a hand. I managed to give him a weak smile, giving him my hand as he helped me up, leading me to my bedroom due to how my legs had become jell-o.

"I'm sorry about my brother… I'd scorch him one for you, but that wouldn't make you any happier…" Wolfram apologized, letting me fall on my bed. He sat on the edge, looking down at the floor in thought. My tears had managed to stop for now, and I glanced up at him from the blankets I was looking at. Wolfram turned to look at me hesitantly.

"Hey, Kazumi? I know this might be bad timing but… I can't think of a better time to ask you this… Do you… think Hisako likes me by any chance?" Wolfram asked and I sat up quickly, looking at him in shock. Was he actually taking a romantic interest in my best friend? I never thought I'd hear those words from his mouth.

"Are you kidding me? I can tell from how she teases and torments you, she's crazy about you!" I replied, giggling. Wolfram flushed pure red, turning to face me.

"Y-You'll keep this between us, right? Promise me!" Wolfram demanded, holding out his pinky to me. I smiled, linking my pinky with his.

"Promise. I won't tell a soul." I replied, seeing him smile. Just as we were laughing, our pinkies still linked, my bedroom door opened to reveal Conrart. He stopped, looking shocked at our linked pinkies.

"We're making a promise, Lord Weller, don't let it get to your head" Wolfram explained, disconnecting our pinkies, and then stood from the bed. I looked at him, watching him give me a smile as he left, closing the door behind him. Conrart stood there, looking at me hesitantly.

"Sit, let's talk about what happened out there like civilized people" I stated, patting where Wolfram had been sitting. Conrart sighed, walking there and sat where I'd pointed out to him. He turned to look at me and I swear I saw the first sign of emotion on his face that whole week.

"Kazumi, this all started just before you woke up… Hisako led me out the room and told me… you were falling in love with me… and I – I couldn't bear the thought of being closer to someone and then losing them…" Conrart started and I gasped, my face putting a tomato to shame as I looked down at the bed, drawing designs on the blanket with my index finger. Why the hell did Hisako need to tell him that? Why was she even so observant in the first place?

"Anyway… so I decided to begin pulling away… I know it hurt you… but I honestly thought it was the best thing for you… I thought I was doing it all for you… but those were just my excuses… I was running… I learned that when you slapped me. When you left, Gwendal chewed me out… literally… He gave me a good punch too… told me your health had been decreasing slowly since I started pulling away from you… you weren't eating and were trying to prove to everyone you were fine, when you weren't…" Conrart explained more. I looked up at him; my cheeks still a little rosy in color. Conrart gave me a small smile, brushing some of the hair stuck to my cheek from my tears, off my face.

"But… you do know what you've done, right?" Conrart asked, suddenly looking serious. I blinked, trying to think of what I'd done.

"When you slapped me across the left side of my face, you technically asked for my hand in marriage in front of the whole Great Demon Kingdom. I must say, it's quite an honor." Conrart said jokingly, giving me a sly smile. I felt all the blood rush out of my head as a cold sweat formed on my neck.

"Say what?" I said woozily, falling back against the bed, my head hitting the pillow as I stared up at the ceiling.

"Kazumi?" Conrart asked, looking at me worriedly. For some reason he was beginning to fade in and out. My eyes kept closing and I felt sleepy… Eventually I couldn't keep my eyes open and I just completely crashed.

"Sleep well, you little wench." stated a sinister voice, but I was too tired to be affected by it.


	18. In Sickness and Health

**This is it guys! We're almost to chapter 20! thanks for supporting me throughout this whole story! I have something special planned for chapter 20! Something big that you guys will probably love! It involves a festival, Conrart and Kazumi, and that's all i'm revealing! You'll have to wait till then! teehee. Anyway, remember to thank my better reader HeartlesslyAwesome, she's just so awesome! and that should answer your question too buddy! :)**

Hisako's P.O.V

Things were getting bad. Kazumi's health had not recovered in the slightest. In fact, she had just gotten worse. According to Gisela, it was stress induced, and the worse her health got, the more stressed she got. Not to mention, the castle probably didn't help either. But one thing that seemed to be helping her condition was that Conrart rarely left her side now. At least he'd come to his senses. The fact that they are engaged was now public knowledge that helped calm the citizens.

"What do we do? Her condition is just getting worst. Conrart's slowly losing it himself…" Wolfram muttered from where he stood by me. I began refraining from giggling as I suddenly imagined Conrart doing the chicken dance around a small bonfire. Gisela emerged from the room and just before the doors closed, we saw Conrart sitting beside the bed, his face resting by her hand.

"This is really getting to him…" I mumbled, lost in thought. Things were getting worse every day. Wolfram was getting panicked, and Gwendal was slowly getting irritable. Gunter was being a dramatic twat every day, plucking flowers and crying. Anissina was trying to make something to cure her illness, Yuri had absorbed all his time in the military and training to take his mind off the situation, and Lady Celi had been rather depressed, going to von Spitzberg castle to spend some time with Raven.

As much as I wanted to act like an idiot, I unfortunately couldn't. Not with this serious atmosphere. I sighed, continuing to think about suitable solutions.

"What if… we took her home? Going home might allow her to recover better." I suggested, earning Wolfram's attention. He thought for a few seconds and then nodded.

"That just might work… Let's go suggest it to Lord Weller." Wolfram opened the door and we both walked in towards Conrart and Kazumi. Kazumi's cheeks were red and she was breathing heavily. She was pale and covered in sweat. Her hair was mattered and a complete mess. Conrart honestly didn't look much better either. He looked like he hadn't been keeping up with brushing his hair for a while, and he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.

"Lord Weller, I think I have an idea that will result in her recovery. It involves sending her home. I believe resting in her bed at home and eating her mother's food will help her recover better," I stated, earning a surprised look from Conrart. He nodded, agreeing to my idea.

"Alright, let's do this. The quicker we get her back, the sooner she can recover" Wolfram exclaimed, removing the covers off Kazumi as he and Conrart lifted Kazumi up, waking her in the process. She looked around dizzily, her eyes focusing on Conrart.

"W-What's… going on?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"We're sending you back home… hopefully going home will make you better" Conrart explained, smiling gently at her. She blinked for a few moments, walking clumsily against Conrart's arm as he supported her. I opened the door, leading them out as I pointed at Wolfram.

"Go tell Yuri to hurry up and get his ass here!" I commanded. Wolfram nodded, running off to go get Yuri. I sighed, turning to look at the condition Kazumi was in. She looked tired again, and she had only just gotten up.

Eventually we found ourselves at the bath and as Yuri and I stepped in, we noticed Wolfram and Conrart standing there too. Conrart was about to hand Kazumi to Yuri and myself, and Wolfram looked like he wanted to say something. I raised a brow, wondering what on earth it could be when the vortex appeared, making us all gasp as we were sucked in. I just had to say earth didn't me?

When we emerged out of the water, I inhaled deeply, looking around. We were back at the river where we had strolled into to get my hat. I noticed it floating nearby, so I instantly snatched it up, placing it on my head. For a few seconds, I was content. Suddenly Yuri gasped loudly and I turned, feeling my stomach drop. Conrart and Wolfram were there too. How on earth was I going to handle this? I just said earth again…

"A river?" Wolfram asked, clearly not impressed. As he waded out and Conrart waded out as well, carrying Kazumi in his arms. Yuri followed him, looking at his sister worriedly. She was unconscious again, but luckily she'd been awake for the trip and hadn't drowned… I think…

"So… Yuri? You going to show us how to get to your house?" Wolfram asked, looking around curiously at our surroundings. He looked a little like an unimpressed yet interested kid at a festival. I couldn't help but stifle a giggle.

"Actually, I need to get back to the baseball field… I kinda just left Murata there… Hisako, can you show them there? You always break in, so you can show them in" Yuri explained, running off to find the baseball field. I pouted at him as Wolfram looked at me horrified.

"I don't always break in… sometimes I get let in…" I mumbled, pouting to myself. Conrart chuckled, looking around.

"I think I recognize this area a little… Shall we get going?" Conrart asked, giving us a warm smile. I nodded, skipping ahead and showing them the way to the Shibuya house. I snuck the key out from under the small plant pot and opened the door, letting them inside. Conrart walked to the couch, about to put Kazumi down when I cleared my throat.

"Leave her in those and she'll get worse every second. Take her to her bedroom; it's up the stairs and first door on the left. I'll change her clothes, then I'll figure out some clothing for the two of you" I stated. Conrart nodded, following my instructions and placed Kazumi on her bed, trying to ignore the rouge piece of underwear lying on the ground that she had dropped. He exited the room, coughing, trying to clear the pink from his cheeks. I entered the room, closing the door and giggled when I spotted the cause.

I searched through her drawers, deciding to put her in some nice casual clothes. I decided not to be mean this time in my fashion sense and put her in something suitable. When she was sufficiently covered and I had changed into some of her clothes too, I took our wet clothes and placed them in the basket. I walked out of the room, heading to Mr. and Mrs. Shibuya's room. I didn't really want to search through Shoma Shibuya's clothes, but I kinda had no choice. I refrained from shivering mentally as I pulled out all the necessary clothing for Conrart before letting him enter the room as I exited. I sighed, preparing myself for Yuri's room. I don't think anything could prepare me for his room.

When I entered Yuri's room, I sighed, finding it to look relatively normal. I searched the clothing, finding something suitable for Wolfram before I quickly ran out the room, letting him enter. The door opened behind me and I turned, seeing Conrart walk out. Shoma's clothes were a little tight, but they'd have to do. There's no way in hell Shori would let them wear his clothes without pulling a huge hissy fit. He gave me a warm smile, still looking worried. He handed me his wet clothing and I put them in the basket with my own and Kazumi's. Wolfram entered the hallway, putting his clothes in the basket.

"Now, Conrart, you said you knew Kazumi's mother, right?" I asked, making sure they wouldn't get kicked out straight away. Conrart chuckled, nodding.

"That's good. At least we'll have a roof over our heads for tonight…" Wolfram muttered, scratching his head. Conrart chuckled, about to begin heading downstairs when the door opened. I tensed, wondering who it was. It was either one of four people. It would be either Miko, Yuri, Shori or Shoma. If it was any of them but Shori, it'd be easy to explain this to them, but Shori didn't know about any of the demon stuff, at least I don't think he did.

"Hey, Yu-chan? Kazu-chan? Which one of you two left the door open again?" asked a voice that made my stomach drop. It was Shori.

"Ah crap! How am I gonna explain this?" I asked, looking around nervously. Shori suddenly stopped at the stairs, looking at Conrart, Wolfram and myself suspiciously. He raised a brow, almost giving us the evil eye.

"Uh… I can explain this…" I began to say when he cut me off.

"Where's Kazu-chan, Hisako-chi?" he asked in his gruff voice, knowing I had no way of successfully lying to him. I sighed to myself, pointing to her room.

"She's become really badly ill… she's in bed resting…" I explained. Shori gasped, his little sister complex beginning to kick in. He rushed past me, completely ignoring the rest of us, and ran into Kazumi's room. He knelt by her bed, checking her vital signs and her temperature. He looked at me in a panicked manner.

"How did this happen? She needs to see a doctor!" Shori exclaimed, looking almost horrified. I sighed, knowing he'd never believe me.

"You guys were in the Great Demon Kingdom… weren't you?" he asked, making all three of us gasp. He knew about it! And better yet, he knew Kazumi was the Demon Queen? Okay, I'm supposed to be the Great Wiseman of Double Black… why am I being left speechless? Oh right, I'm the dumb half, that might be why…

"Are you serious? You know of our world?" Wolfram spat, sounding almost angry. Shori stood, looking at him with just as fierce a glare. I sighed again.

"Alright, alright! They're from the Great Demon Kingdom, they're two of the sons of the previous Monarch. Kazumi's been chosen as Demon Queen, and I'm the Great Wiseman of Double Black… Now that that's out of the way, you tell us how you know about it" I explained, finding this solution fair and reasonable. Shori looked just as stern as always.

"I found out when I was little and was looking after Yu-chan and Kazu-chan when they were four. Mother and Father got into a fight when we were in Tokyo for a business meeting, so I took them out when Mother threatened to get a divorce. As we explored the city, I let the two of them do whatever they wanted. At the end of the day, they fell asleep on the chair we were sitting on and that's when I met him – Bob. He's the Demon King of the Earth. He explained their fate to me, about how they'd have to leave this world to help the Great Demon Kingdom, and he took me on as an apprentice so I could protect them. I'm training to be the new Demon King of the Earth" Shori explained, his expression never faltering.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Shori was becoming the next Demon King of the Earth? And Bob, the King right now, knew that both of them would be sucked to the Great Demon Kingdom, not just Kazumi? It was almost too much to believe, but his expression showed he wasn't lying.

"Pardon my asking… but weren't you going to call a doctor for Her Highness?" Conrart asked, trying to sound polite and formal. Shori gave him a glare.

"Don't remind me of what I need to do for my precious little sister, I know already. After all, I am 'big brother'" he said proudly and I couldn't help but refrain from laughing. In your head, maybe… Shori walked past me, heading to the phone they had connected to the wall, and dialed a number before waiting for them to pick up.

"Hello, Doctor Jose. Yeah, it's me, Shori Shibuya… Kazumi's come down with something terrible and can't be moved… Can you come round' and give her a check over? No, it's just Kazu-chan, some friends and myself… Yuri, Mother and Father aren't home… Yeah, I'll see you soon… bye…" Shori said into the phone, hanging up and sitting on the couch. I walked to the lounge room with the two boys following closely behind me.

"Shori? Is Jose coming round?" I asked and Shori nodded at me. I sighed in relief. I'd been seeing Jose for quite a bit myself, being the Great Wiseman of Double Black and all, and having the memories of all my other lives in me, Jose has been around for as long as I could remember, helping me with dealing with the memories.

"Who's this 'Jose' person?" Wolfram asked, leaning against the wall of the dining room as Conrart sat himself on the floor. I sat beside Shori, wondering if I should explain or if I should leave it to him.

"Jose is an old family friend, he's also a trained doctor and physician, and he works for the Demon King of the Earth" Shori explained as Conrart nodded.

"Yes, he's also quite easy to get along with" Conrart stated with a smile. Wolfram looked at him in disbelief.

"You know him, Lord Weller?" Wolfram asked. Conrart chuckled, nodding. Wolfram pouted, looking down. I giggled a little. I couldn't help myself. He was just so adorable when he sulked.

"What's all the giggles and laughter about?" asked a weak voice and we all looked up to see Kazumi holding the railing of the stairs to keep herself up.

"Kazu-chan?" Shori exclaimed, jumping from his seat before anyone could move and was instantly by her side.

"You should be resting! You rarely get ill, but when you do, you know it's murderous to you" Shori reminded her, leading her to the couch and sitting her down. She sighed, her eyes still looking rather weak and blank. She looked exhausted and out of breath, like walking that small distance had sapped her strength entirely. I looked at her hesitantly, not sure about what to say or do.

"Your older brother called the family doctor Jose, he'll be here shortly to take a look at you" Conrart stated in a calm voice. Kazumi looked up at him with a weak smile, nodding.

"I see… I hope… I get over this soon…" I whispered, barely audible. The doorbell rang and Shori rushed to the door, leading Jose inside. At least, I assumed it was him until I heard him begin talking.

"Wow, you weren't kidding…" he stated, looking almost amazed. He stepped closer to Kazumi, pulling out a small set of equipment. He checked her temperature, ears, eyes, throat, pulse, and breathing. He stepped back, thinking to himself.

"I'd say this is stress induced. She appears to have caught a very nasty virus. it's affecting her lungs, throat, and ears… she's going to be on some heavy antibiotics until it's clear. I'd like to stay tonight to keep an eye on her condition if you don't mind" Jose explained, looking at Shori in concern. Shori wore a serious expression, nodding.

"Of course, my parents would also agree. Kazu-chan's health is a number one priority. I'll go get her prescription. Can you stay here with them, Jose?" Shori replied, receiving the prescription paper from him. Jose nodded, giving him a smile as Shori stepped out, breaking into a run to the chemist. I gave Jose a smile and nod, looking back at Kazumi in concern. She really wasn't well; her fever hadn't gone down at all.

"It certainly has been a while, hasn't it, Conrad Weller?" Jose asked, watching Conrart stand as they shook hands like old friends reuniting. Conrart smiled at Jose as he did the same.

"I agree. It's been nearly eighteen years since I left and went back to the Great Demon Kingdom. There needs to be better communication between our worlds" Conrart replied, letting Jose's hand go as they began catching up. Wolfram walked away from the wall, sitting on the floor nearby where I was sitting.

"So, what's going to happen to Kazumi now?" Wolfram asked, looking at her sleeping form on the couch in concern. I followed his gaze, looking just as worried. I put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"Now, we let her Mother take care of her. That's the best thing for her at the moment" I replied, earning a small smile from Wolfram. At least things were going decently, until Miko decided to arrive home early after hearing about her daughter suddenly becoming violently ill.


	19. Home Life

**Kazumi**

When I stirred into consciousness, I was suddenly face to face with my mum. She looked extremely worried, clutching my shoulders tightly. I gasped in shock, trying to back away a little but the couch wouldn't let me.

"Kazu-chan? Are you alright sweetie? Tell Mama what's wrong! Mama's here for you, baby!" Mum rambled, making me suddenly feel very embarrassed when I realized Wolfram and Conrart were still in the room with us. Yuri was there too, same with Hisako, Shori and Jose.

"U-Um..." I stuttered, my throat feeling like it was on fire and very sore. My head felt dizzy and like it was in the clouds, my chest hurt every time I took a breath, I had a headache and my eyes were stinging. So in other words, I felt like crap.

"Oh, you poor thing! Jose told me you had a throat, lung and ear infection caused by stress! I'll go make you some of Mama's warm soup!" Mum exclaimed, patting my head gently as she stood, rushing to the kitchen. I winced, trying to sit myself up properly, using the arm of the couch to stabilize myself. Conrart walked to the couch, sitting next to me.

"You really need to rest, Kazumi… Let your mum take care of you" he stated, checking my temperature by putting his hand to my forehead. I froze, feeling my cheeks heat up more.

"It hasn't gone down at all…" he said, removing his hand from my head. Shori walked to me, standing by the arm as he began gently patting my head. I frowned, looking up to glare at him.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Shori. And I'm not a dog either, so stop petting me" I grumbled, trying to pull his hand away from my head. Shori knelt beside the couch, suddenly hugging me tightly. I blinked in shock, wondering what was causing this.

"U-Um. Shori?" I asked, trying to make some sense of his actions. He was glaring at Conrart, then at Wolfram.

"Did they hurt you at all, Kazu-chan? You were suddenly sucked into their world, anything could've happened to you… Were they being mean to you?" Shori asked, patting my head again as if to soothe me. I frowned, feeling my irritation levels beginning to rise. What was his problem? Why was he acting like some kind of… I don't even know what!

"Um… Shori? Let her go. She's gonna explode in a few seconds" Yuri warned, gaining Shori's attention as I suddenly pulled my arms out, flailing them for a few seconds.

"Let me go! Geez, Shori. You're way too protective for an older brother…" I exclaimed, panting to catch my breath from my little outburst. Jose laughed, approaching me with Hisako not far behind him.

"Looks like you've gained some energy at least… Shori? The antibiotics?" Jose asked. Shori pulled out a large pink paper bag from his shoulder bag, handing it to Jose. Jose smiled, getting out a white vial. I raised a brow, tilting my head.

"Now, these are antibiotics, I'll need to inject them before you eat… Seen as your mum's making you some soup, better give you a shot now. Hold still and give me your left arm" Jose explained, pulling out a needle from his medical bag. I smiled, holding out my left arm willingly. Jose chuckled, seeming surprised that I wasn't scared of the needle. Wolfram however was freaking out, trembling a little.

"W-What are you trying to do to her?" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Jose. Jose looked up at him and laughed.

"It's called an injection, Wolfram. Sometimes it's the only way to get medication into a person. It goes into the bloodstream, meaning it takes effect faster" Hisako explained, putting a hand on Wolfram's shoulder. Wolfram still looked skeptical. Jose cleaned a small area on my arm and then gave me a smile.

"Now, you might feel a sharp prick, but it'll be over soon" he explained. I giggled.

"I'm not, Yuri. I'm not scared of them. Just go on, Jose, I won't scream" I replied, seeing the pout on Yuri's face. I giggled again, not even wincing when I felt the prick in my arm, waiting for him to put the dose in my arm. When he had pulled the needle out, he wiped the area again, placing a small cotton ball there, taping it to my arm.

"All done" he stated, and we laughed for a few seconds.

"Are you feeling any better, Kazumi? Your Mother's arriving" Conrart asked, giving me a warm smile. I nodded, seeing Mum place the tray with the soup on my lap.

"Thanks, mum" I thanked, seeing her pout.

"Kazu-chan, call me mama!" she exclaimed, sounding very, very repetitive. I sighed.

"Thank you, mama…" I mumbled, hearing Yuri snigger. I glared at him then sighed, not having the energy to deal with him.

"By the way, Kazu-chan, I hope you get better soon. You have the recital coming up in a week." Mum stated, making me freeze. Recital? Which one? Oh, that one… Shit! Did she just say a week from now?

"That recital? I completely forgot! Do I even have an outfit for it?" I asked, looking up at Mum in worry. She smirked suddenly, making me feel really uncomfortable in my stomach.

"Not to worry, I've already made outfits for all of you! I'm actually quite sure you'll like them all!" she exclaimed proudly. I sighed. Let me be the judge of that…

"Recital?" Conrart asked, a little confused. Mum smiled proudly, giggling a little.

"Kazu-chan and some of her classmates from singing class are doing a huge performance at the festival in a week from now. They've been practicing like crazy" she explained, sounding so proud. I sighed.

"Mum…" I grumbled, beginning to eat my soup in the hopes that that would shut her up. Hisako suddenly smirked, making me raise a brow as I continued eating.

"Oh, and Mama? Kazumi and Lord Weller got engaged recently!" Hisako suddenly announced, making me suddenly choke on my soup. I coughed, trying to get the soup out that had gone down the wrong hole. Conrart gently pat me on the back, trying to help me. Mum had completely squealed and Shori had the opposite reaction.

"You two are engaged? I should've seen it! The way you two act towards each other totally says it all! So who proposed? When did you two start dating in the first place? And I must say, I'm amazed, Kazu-chan! Getting engaged to your brother's godfather, I never thought I'd see this happening! I thought you'd be into younger boys, not older men!" Mum rambled on, making me suddenly wish a hole would open up and swallow me.

"E-Engaged? When did this happen?" Shori shouted from where he stood, making me wince from the giant headache I had.

"Well, our engagement was more of an accident than anything…" Conrart explained, making me sigh in relief. Mum pouted, looking a little disappointed while Shori looked skeptical.

"Accident? How do you get engaged to someone by accident?" he shouted, making me wince again.

"I slapped him… Apparently to their custom, slapping someone is proposing marriage…" I explained, making Mum and Shori look at each other questioningly.

"Why did you slap him?" Mum asked, sounding worried. I was rarely violent, so hearing I'd slapped someone was a huge shock.

"It was my fault… I thought I was doing something to protect Kazumi, but all I was doing was angering her… I deserved the hit, but I was expecting her to punch me, not slap" Conrart explained. I managed a small smile at him then continued eating.

"Well, if it's an accident, dissolve the engagement" Shori demanded. I glared up at him.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to dissolve a royal engagement without it effecting the entire country? If we dissolve it straight away, the people will suffer… it's bad enough my illness already has them worried as it is…" I explained, earning a pout from Shori.

"And Yuri here's been training and studying to be a general in the army of the Great Demon Kingdom. Claims he wants to help his sister out as much as he can" Hisako added, pointing to Yuri. I sighed in relief, no longer the center of attention. Conrart gave me a small smile, sensing my relief. He chuckled, patting my shoulder gently.

After a couple days, I was almost back to full health. And most of my energy had recovered too.

"Yuri! Get back here!" I shouted, almost jumping down the stairs to chase after my brother. He was running with a smirk on his face, holding an embarrassing photo of mine. I'd wanted to burn that ridiculous photo, however mum told me if I did I was grounded for life.

"No way in hell! I'm showing Wolfram and Conrart!" he yelled back and I felt my face flush instantly. I growled, finding more of a sprint in my step.

"Give it back! Now!" I snapped, jumping around the couch that Yuri was trying to hide behind and try to grab him. He just chuckled, rolling away and running to the glass door, trying to get to Wolfram and Conrart.

"Ah! Yuri!" I tried to warn but I was too late and we all heard a loud thump as Yuri remained pressed up to the glass. I stood there, looking at him for a few seconds, until I burst out into laughter. Conrart and Wolfram looked at the cause of the noise and their expressions were hilarious. They looked so bewildered. Conrart had to cough back a laugh. I walked up to his now sprawled figure, snatching the photo away from him.

"Now maybe you'll learn not to take other's belongings now" I exclaimed, looking at him with a frown. Conrart opened the door, Wolfram right behind him, and they looked at us in confusion.

"Kazumi? What happened?" Wolfram asked, scratching his head. I sighed.

"Nothing, Yuri was just going to show you guys something I didn't want anyone to see… and he took my belongings without my permission" I explained. Wolfram just looked confused again.

"What could be so embarrassing you don't want us to see?" he asked, earning a chuckle from Conrart.

"Just… a photo of when I was in elementary school… I was doing a play… and ended up being the role of a chicken, so I had to be dressed as one" I explained, receiving chuckles from Conrart while wolfram continued looking confused.

"Kazu-chan? Can you go get the mail?" mum suddenly asked. I turned to look at her, nodding, then slipped the photo into my pocket, giving Yuri another glare, then walked towards the door. I breathed in the fresh air, sighing contently. As I walked up the pavement, turning to look into the mailbox, some boys caught my attention.

"Yo, Shibuya! Is Urine home?" asked one of the thug boys from our high school. I sighed, unamused by their jokes. But I decided to play along with them for a little fun. I turned, putting a hand on my hip, frowning.

"I'm sorry, there's no one in my family called 'Urine'. You must have the wrong house" I replied sarcastically. They frowned, not liking the idea of me joking with them.

"You got a lot of nerve little lady. Where's your twin? We wanna have a word" asked the head thug, frowning in disapproval. I glared back just as darkly.

"Sorry, he hasn't got time for the likes of you twats. Go home, don't try again" I replied, suddenly getting the collar of my shirt grabbed roughly, finding myself face to face with the head thug. He was looking at me with a very nasty glare. I tried not to be phased, glaring back just as darkly.

"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson in manners!" he spat, literally spitting on my face as he said it. I tried to imitate my best growl, refraining from punching this guy in the gut.

"May I remind you you're on my family's property? Touch me aggressively and you'll find yourself in a police station" I reminded him, earning an even darker glare from him.

"Hey, let it go boss, she's right. We're gonna get in trouble" one of the thugs pleaded, receiving a glare from the boss, shutting him up quickly. Just as I was about to punch this guy in the gut to get him to release me, I heard Yuri gasp.

"Hey! Let my sister go!" he exclaimed, running up to us super quickly, ramming himself into the side of the head thug. I suddenly found myself on my backside, looking up painfully to see Yuri back up on his knees and the thug was sprawled on the ground.

"Yuri! What're you doing? Get back inside! It's you these guys are after!" I shouted, waving my arm at the door. Yuri blinked in confusion, looking between the thug and me.

"What? You serious?" he shouted, seeing the head thug begin sitting up. He growled, wiping his cheek that hit the ground.

"You're gonna pay for that, Yuri!" he snarled. I gasped, feeling the blood rush from my face as I saw him suddenly launch into an attack at Yuri. Yuri had no time to react or dodge, so I did what I thought was the best thing. I jumped forward, side tackling him as we rolled across the ground. Luckily we had rolled away from each other, otherwise I'm pretty sure he'd be strangling me.

"Kazu-chan? Yu-chan? What's taking so long?" asked mum as she walked to the door, gasping suddenly, freezing to the spot.

"Oh shit! The mum's here!" one of the thugs exclaimed, running off with the others as the head thug stood, glaring at me, then took off after his buddies. I sat on the ground, sighing in relief.

"Are you alright, Yuri?" I asked, pulling myself up into a standing position. Yuri did the same, sighing loudly.

"What did I do? What did I honestly do?" he asked, turning to look at me. I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"They're just thugs... ignore them… they're looking for a chance to pick on anyone… it's not just you" I explained, patting his shoulder.

"Oh, don't you have that recital on Sunday during the festival? And isn't there also a ballet performance?" Yuri asked. I smiled.

"Nah, I don't have the ballet performance, I'm not in it… I'm just one of the coordinators, so I've been watching the performances" I explained. mum had arrived behind us, giving us relieved smiles.

"Let's get back inside…" mum stated, leading us back inside. Just as we entered, the phone decided to begin ringing. I walked to it, picking it up.

"Hello? Ah, Mrs. Hanabusa! Yes I'm all right… I just got over a bad infection, but I'm pretty much all better. That performance, yeah I remember. Why are you asking? O-oh… a-are you serious? You are… well, who am I to refuse? I-I'll try… okay… I remember the moves… okay. See you tomorrow for practice. Yeah, bye" I said into the phone, hanging up and turning to look at Yuri horrified.

"I have to dance the lead role in that ballet performance after all… the main dancer sprained her ankle! Ah! W-what do I do? I-I need to practice!" I exclaimed to him, seeing him look just as shocked too. I tried to calm my breathing, seeing the confused looks of Wolfram and Conrart. I decided to leave them out of the loop for now, Yuri could explain. Instead, I rushed out onto the back veranda, beginning to practice the precise movements I had come up with myself, trying to perfect the role I was going to fill.


	20. Festival Villians

**HERE IT IS! THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTER 20! thank you so much to everyone who's stuck through with the story, if you guys hadn't been here, I wouldn't have made it this far. so thank you guys! you guys rock! and don't forget to thank my beta reader HeartlesslyAwesome!**

It was the day of the festival. I'd arrived early in the morning to help set up. Mum was bringing the boys round later for the performances. Luckily, the recital was before the performance, so I wouldn't look tired while trying to sing. Once everything was all set up, I saw Natsuki come out in the outfit Mum had made for her. It was a lovely purple, short dress with the same colored socks and black shoes. Her long dark brown hair was waved slightly and filled with purple streaks, making the brown in her hair and eyes stand out more. I was in a red and grey top and short skirt, red and grey socks and black shoes. I had a red armband and a grey armband. My hair was in a high, curly ponytail and I still wore the dark blue earrings Conrart had given me.

"Thank your mum for making these wonderful outfits for us, will you, Kazumi?" Natsuki asked, grabbing my hands tightly. I smiled, seeing Hisako trudge out, looking miserable. I couldn't help but laugh. One of our singers had developed an illness, so we had to ask her to stand in. She was wearing a dark blue dress, the same colored socks and black shoes. Her hair had been curled and she had a dark blue clip in her hair. She still wore her glasses as well. Then the other two singers came out. One was Sakura, a girl with short black hair and green eyes. She was wearing a pink dress, the same colored socks, and black shoes and had a pink ribbon in her hair. The other girl was Ayuki, a girl with shoulder length, light brown hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a green boob tube top, mini skirt and the same colored socks with black shoes. Her hair was styled in a side ponytail.

"Are we ready to do this, guys?" Ayuki asked loudly, giggling at us as Sakura fidgeted nervously.

"I'm so nervous…" she mumbled, barely audible. We suddenly heard our group name being called out, making us all gulp nervously.

"Well, this is it! Let's do it!" I stated, cheering us all on. We walked from backstage onto the main platform, being greeted by lights and the sound of the crowd clapping. We stood in our arranged formation, forming the top half of a triangle. I was in the middle for some reason, they'd been pretty demanding about that, Hisako stood to my left, then Ayuki, and to my right was Natsuki, then Sakura. We all held our microphones and just as I was about to begin talking, I noticed Conrart, Wolfram, Mum, Dad, Shori and Yuri sitting in the fourth row. I felt my face flush for a second until I took a deep breath.

"Now, before we start, I'd like everyone to give my friend Hisako here a round of applause. She's not in our actual group, but one of our singers became ill and she agreed to take over for the performance. She's only had a couple days practice compared to the rest of us, so if you can thank her, that'd be appreciated" I explained, hearing applause roar from the crowd. Hisako was glaring at me, her cheeks bright red. I smiled, returning my attention to the crowd.

"Okay, the songs we'll be performing for you will be Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole, Super Psycho Love by Simon Curtis, Sorry for Everything by Dead by April and finally DNA by Little Mix. We hope you enjoy everyone!" I explained, hearing the music begin to play. We did a little footwork for the opening until we suddenly broke out into song. Cause I was the one that could reach the highest notes and hold them for a long time, they got me to do the background singing during the chorus. The entire crowd remained quiet, waiting for the song to end, then broke into loud, screaming applause. I saw Conrart and Wolfram looked amazed, or shocked, not sure which one. We moved through song after song, until we reached the final song. I suddenly felt very embarrassed, singing this kind of song when Conrart was there. Okay, I'll admit it, the guy was hot, was actually a nice guy, and let's just face it, I was head over heels in love. Now I just feel like an idiot for having admitted that.

The music began anyway, and I had to refrain from being red in face or stuffing up my words. I began singing my parts, unfortunately they were all the awkward parts, and I felt like having a giant hole open up and swallow me. As I was singing, I noticed the giant Ferris wheel. Right, no way I was going on there, my vertigo would go crazy. I focused my attention on the Ferris wheel anyway, trying to ignore the crowd until we finished the song. I sighed in relief quietly, waving at the crowd as we took our leave off the stage. I sighed loudly as everyone else did the same.

"Well, I've got to get ready now. See you soon, Hisako! Later, guys" I replied, heading to the next room backstage. Mrs. Hanabusa was waiting for me, holding the beautiful dress I was going to have to wear. We'd fitted it to my body yesterday, so she was going to help me dress up. I quickly got into the dress, sitting down and letting her style my hair. She did my make-up, placing the pure white ballet shoes on my feet. I suddenly felt incredibly nervous. Mrs. Hanabusa must've sensed this, grabbing my hands and holding them tightly in hers.

"Now, Kazumi… relax… you'll do fine, I know you will. If you begin to fall, Sakuya will help you. He'll make it look like it was part of the performance. Just trust him" Mrs. Hanabusa stated, giving me a warm smile. The door opened and a boy entered, giving me a warm smile. It was Sakuya, the male dancer I was going to dance with. Sakuya was like, the head boy of the ballet classes. He's the guy every girl wants to dance to with. I remember a couple months ago, well, weeks here, I'd been one of those girls, daydreaming over this hunk, but now that I was in love with Conrart, who, in my opinion, was hotter, he was just some ordinary guy now.

"Shibuya, shall we go?" he asked kindly, holding his hand out to me. I gulped, taking his hand and let him lead me to the previous room, waiting to be called on stage. My nervousness must've shown, because Sakuya held my hand tighter. I hadn't even realized we were still holding hands.

"It'll be alright… we've danced together during practice, you'll be fine. I know you can do this" he encouraged, giving me a warm smile that would've melted girls' hearts. Sakuya could almost give Conrart a run for this money, but only almost. As we were called on, we separated, heading to our spots on stage. I saw the look on their faces and felt so embarrassed. I squatted into position, waiting for the music to begin. When the slow, piano music began to play, I slowly began to dance, rising up on point and tiptoed a small distance, making a pose as Sakuya began his small dance towards me. His hands held my arms gently, helping me rise on point, then lift one leg up into the air as he began to walk around me, turning me around in the process.

I folded my leg in, turning to face him as his hands found my waist, lifting me up high, horizontally, into the air. I held my arms and legs up, gazing up at the sky instead of the ground. I held my breath, trying to calm my nerves as he lowered me, continuing to lead me in the dance. Sakuya was pretty much perfect, but I didn't like perfect guys. Sure, he's actually a really nice guy and would probably be a good friend to have, but he wasn't the type I'd fall in love with.

Thankfully when the dance was over, the audience erupted into applause. I put my right leg behind my left, squatting the way I was taught was a bow as Sakuya did a fancy bow. I stood back upright, sighing in relief as Sakuya held his hand out to me. I took it, letting him lead me off stage. As soon as we arrived backstage, I let out a sigh of relief, kneeling on the ground to stop my trembling.

"Are you alright?" Sakuya asked me, looking concerned.

"I'm alright… my nerves just decided to kick in… I was so nervous…" I stated, looking up at him with a pathetic smile. He just smiled, offering me his hand again. I took it, letting him pull me to my feet.

"Well I should probably go get changed" I stated, walking away from him as I waved farewell. I changed in the next room back to my normal clothes, stepped out and saw everyone there.

"You were amazing, Kazu-chan!" Mum exclaimed, hugging me tightly. I stiffened, smiling as I relaxed, hugging her back. Dad was smiling in approval and even Shori and Yuri looked impressed. Hisako was smirking. Wolfram and Conrart remained silent.

"So Conrart, Wolfy, what'd you think of your first performance?" Mum asked, turning to look at them. Conrart smiled gently, looking impressed.

"It was amazing… Kazumi is just full of talent." Conrart stated, as Wolfram tried to not look impressed.

"Well, I've seen better…" Wolfram tried to say, but his words trailed off. Everyone laughed.

"Okay! Now that that's all sorted out, let's enjoy the festival! We should also let the engaged couple go off on their own too!" Hisako exclaimed, making me freeze up in shock, blushing. Conrart looked startled too. Shoot, I'd forgotten about that again. Shori was voicing his objection loudly while Mum voiced her approval even louder.

"It'll be your first date! Go on! Go on! Don't let us stop you!" she stated, stars almost in her eyes. She suddenly ran behind me, pushing me to Conrart, then began pushing us away, out the building. I tripped on a step and was about to fall when Conrart steadied me, leading me down the stairs.

"Have fun, you two!" Mum called out, almost taunting me as she held the others back. My cheeks flared as I looked up at him. He was looking around, looking almost nervous. This kind of stuff must've been new to him.

"Um… if you want, I can show you the festival?" I asked, fidgeting nervously. Conrart looked down at me, smiling gratefully.

"That'd be very appreciated, thank you" he thanked, flashing his winning smile. He looked so relieved, I couldn't help but giggle. I saw his hand was outstretched, as if offering it. I felt my face flush as I nervously put my hand in his. His grip tightened around my hand, and I noticed as we began walking that my hand was a perfect fit in his. I walked a step ahead of him, pointing out all the different rides and stalls.

"What's that one there, Kazumi?" Conrart asked, pointing to stall where you tried to catch goldfish with a paper net. I explained the process to him, and he decided he wanted to give it a try. I looked at him in shock; he didn't seem the type to get competitive over small games like this.

"Really? Then, I guess I'll give it a go too!" I proclaimed, rolling up the sleeves of my jacket, paying for our goes. We both received a paper net. I frowned in concentration. As soon as I lifted up the goldfish with the paper net, the paper ripped and the fish plonked back into the water.

"Aw… I got none… oh well" I stated, handing the broken paper net to the man running the stall. Conrart frowned, trying to concentrate. Suddenly in about the span of a minute, he'd caught about seven goldfish before the eighth broke the net. I stood there, looking stunned as he gave up, handing the net back to the man. The man looked stunned too. As he was about to put the goldfish in a bag to hand to Conrart, he waved his hand.

"I'd much prefer switching the goldfish for a toy prize, if that's alright?" Conrart stated, making the man look happy. Looks like he wasn't going to lose any business after all, since Conrart scooped out nearly more than half the fish in there. He put the fish back, pulling out several large, stuffed toys. I raised a brow, trying to think of what one he'd pick. I personally was favoring the orca toy, but there was also the panda, gorilla and cat. Conrart took a glance at me and then suddenly picked the orca. I blinked in shock, suddenly seeing him hand the orca to me. I blushed, looking down nervously.

"Here, I thought you'd like this one best. I'd like you to have it" Conrart stated, pushing the orca into my arms, then took my hand as I blushed, looking down still. The man smirked, chuckling knowingly. Damn it all, I was ready to die of embarrassment. Conrart chuckled at my expression. I wanted to hit him, but knowing my luck, I'd do something stupid again.

"Did I pick right?" Conrart asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I pouted, still blushing, but nodded. Sudden screaming caught everyone's attention as a huge stampede of people suddenly began running towards us. Conrart looked stunned, but grabbed me quickly, pulling us away to safety. As people began running with them, one of them stopped, looking at us. He looked terrified.

"Get running! There's a monster over there! It's like a black blob, but it's formed into the shape of a person before!" the man warned, continuing to run with the crowd. I glanced up at Conrart, wondering what on earth it could be.

"Do you think its magic or something?" I asked, finding myself face to face with Conrart's chest, wrapped up tightly in his arms. I looked up, looking more at his chin. He looked down at me, giving me a clueless look.

"I don't know… but we should check it out" he replied, letting me go and ran out when the crowd was gone. He grabbed a wooden sword from one of the abandoned stalls, using it to defend himself from this unknown enemy. I peeked out from behind the stall we were using for shelter when I suddenly felt something on my shoulder. I gasped, turning to see a black shaped person. It had no face, no featured, just was the outline of a person, but made of some kind of black mist. Suddenly white teeth formed a grin as I gasped again, letting out a yelp of fright and trying to turn, running to Conrart. Conrart had heard my scream, turning to look for me when he saw me run out, suddenly being grabbed by the black mist, being lifted up into the air.

"Your Majesty!" he shouted, running after it as it carried me high up in the air. I screamed, suddenly being dropped. This was it, I was going to die! I tried to close my eyes as I felt the air rush past me, but I suddenly saw the railing for the rollercoaster. I hit the tracks hard, bouncing off and about to fall a hundred feet to my death when I managed to grab the railing, holding on for dear life. My arms were already hurting under my weight, but I was determined to hang on for as long as I could.

I looked down, seeing Conrart was fighting the black mist as good as he could manage. My vertigo was the only thing keeping me on the railing. Conrart was clearly struggling with just his wooden sword.

"Kazumi!" yelled out a voice and I looked down again, seeing Yuri, Hisako, Shori, Wolfram, Mum and Dad running towards where Conrart was fighting the black creature.

"What is that!? Where's Kazumi, Conrart?" Yuri asked, looking around desperately for me.

"I'm up here!" I yelled, catching their attention as they looked up, then screamed.

"Kazu-chan? Oh my poor baby! Hang on! Mama's coming!" Mum screamed, about to run to me when Dad stopped her.

"Hang on, honey, you might need to help Conrart actually! He's struggling with that enemy!" Dad exclaimed, nodding to Yuri and Shori. They nodded back at him, about to head over to where I was when we all heard a loud bell ring, then some screeching noises. We all glanced at the controls of the rollercoaster, seeing it begin to move down the tracks. I gasped, frozen to the spot as I realized I had to either let go or get run over and get seriously hurt or killed.

"Kazu-chan!" Shori shouted. Hisako was behind Wolfram, but was glaring at the black mist.

"I don't believe it… It's part of the originators" Hisako stated in disbelief. Wolfram gasped as everyone else looked horrified.

"No wonder my attacks aren't working!" Conrart exclaimed, jumping back a couple times.

"Yuri! Shori! Hisako! Can you guys use any of your magic here on Earth?" Conrart shouted, turning to look at them.

"I'll give it a try! Come on, Shori!" Yuri yelled, stepping forward with Shori and Hisako.

"Alright, but go save Kazu-chan!" Shori yelled to Conrart, who nodded, running towards me. The rollercoaster was gaining enough speed to break by skull on impact, roaring along the tracks, heading straight for me. I looked down again, judging my chances of survival.

"Jump! I'll catch you!" Conrart shouted, gaining my attention. At first I was going to yell that he was crazy, but then I saw the look in his eyes. I instantly knew he'd live up to his word. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the horrible feeling in my gut, then counted to three. By the time I hit three, I pushed myself away from the railing just before the rollercoaster roared past, and continuing down the course. I felt the wind roar past as I tried to look at Conrart. He was running constantly, trying to align himself with my course.

I suddenly found Conrart sprawled on the ground, myself on him, being hugged tightly to him. We were both on solid ground, and had escaped with only bruises. Conrart's heart was beating furiously.

"Yu-chan!" shouted Shori as we both shot up from where we were, looking at the black mist in horror. Yuri had been thrown into the air, hitting the ground hard.

"Yuri!" I shouted, standing and running to where he lay. Yuri winced, sitting himself up.

"We can't hold this thing back much longer!" Hisako yelled. I growled, feeling my anger rise incredibly. Not only had this thing tried to kill me, but nearly all of my family and friends were covered in cuts and bruises. This thing had just crossed the line! My hair began to dance as a blue glow surrounded me. I stood, my hair growing longer. I looked up at it, my eyes turned into slits. I held my hand out, an ice sword appearing.

"Kazu-chan?" Shori asked, looking stunned. The black mist turned to face me, then contorted into a larger shape, chuckling evilly in a deep, echoed voice. I gripped the sword tighter, beginning to run at the monster. It tried to launch an attack, but I reflected it by forming an energy barrier. I continued running, a glare on my face as I struck it with my sword, swinging it from right, all the way to my left with as much force and power as I could. It began to screech, contorting in pain as it suddenly began rumbling. My sword finished slicing through it as it suddenly exploded, blasting me back a good ten feet or so. Everyone else was blown off their feet, but in a matter of seconds I found myself in someone's arms instead of the floor where I should've landed.

I looked up weakly to see Conrart looking at me worriedly. Everyone else was still winded and down from the explosion. As soon as Conrart saw my eyes open to look at him, he instantly sighed in relief, suddenly leaning down, his lips covering mine. I gasped in shock, trying to figure out what was going on. Conrart… was kissing me? W-What?


	21. Insanity

**Conrart**

My relief over seeing Kazumi wake up must have overwhelmed me, because I suddenly lunged forward, covering her lips with my own. I knew it was wrong, I never should've done that, but I just couldn't help myself. And even after I'd sworn never to get close enough to a person in that way, well, that oath just flew out the window, didn't it? Kazumi tensed up and I began to regret my action. I pulled away, looking away shamefully.

"S-Sorry… I never should've done that…" I stuttered, looking away. Only a coward would look away from the person they were in love with after kissing them, and that's just what I was. Kazumi was bright red in the face, her eyes wide in shock. Maybe that hadn't been the brightest idea.

"Conrart… Is everyone else okay?" Kazumi asked, sounding hoarse. She'd used up a lot of her energy just to fight that monster. I looked around, seeing everyone else slowly picking themselves up. I turned, nodding, seeing the relief wash over her. She really was too easy to read sometimes.

"Kazu-chan? Are you alright?" Miko asked, running to us and kneeling beside Kazumi. Kazumi nodded, causing Miko to suddenly hug her tightly. I let her go, letting her mother hug her tightly. Shoma approached, giving me a grateful look.

"Thank you for saving my daughter, Conrart… I nearly felt my heart stop when I saw her hanging onto the rollercoaster railing. Thank you" Shoma thanked, offering me his hand. I smiled, nodding as I shook his hand.

"It was no trouble at all, I only wish for her safety and happiness" I replied, seeing the smile on Shoma's face grow.

"I know now… At first I was hesitant when I heard Kazumi was engaged to you, but now I know that it'll be okay. You have my blessing anyway" Shoma stated, making me chuckle. We weren't even an official couple and I already had the father of the bride's blessing? What was wrong with this world?

"So what's going to happen to the festival now?" Shori asked, catching our attention. He had a good point.

"And what do we do now? Should we leave? We'll have a hard time explaining to the police…" Yuri asked as well, holding his arm in pain from his injury. Hisako nodded.

"Yeah, leaving would be the best bet, the police would never believe our story anyway" Hisako stated, looking serious. Wolfram nodded in agreement. Just as we all stood, about to turn away and leave, a voice made us halt in our tracks.

"And just where do you think we're going?" asked a sinister, yet extremely voice. I turned, feeling horrified at the thought of who the owner was. When all of us had turned, we froze in shock, seeing another Kazumi standing there. She was wearing the exact same thing the real Kazumi was wearing, and was even the same age as her. She was completely identical! I gasped, my gut twisting into an unbearable knot.

"Two Kazu-chan's?" Miko asked, looking more amazed than confused. The fake Kazumi laughed, showing a sinister smile on the copy of that beautiful face I'd fallen in love with. How could she? How could she make such a beautiful face that was always smiling, look so horrid?

"Kazumi!" Wolfram called out as I turned in her direction, seeing Kazumi walk out towards her fake.

"Kazumi…" I whispered, unsure if I should try and stop her. But what could I do? I had no weapon, no magic… nothing. The most I could do was offer words of support, what good was that going to do? Zilch.

"Kazu-chan?" Shoma asked, looking confused. Kazumi frowned, glaring at her face twin.

"I had a feeling you'd show up soon. Your warnings were getting a bit repetitive…" Kazumi stated, making me gasp. Warnings? What warnings? I hadn't seen any warnings, and I was normally very perceptive. Could it have been in dreams or visions? The fake smirked, grinning at her evilly.

"You like them? I'm about to do so much worse to you than what happened in them… I'm gonna make you feel so much pain, since you ignored me for so long!" She yelled, swinging her arms in frustration. Kazumi sighed.

"You keep saying that I've ignored you and shut you away… but how? How have I done such a thing?" Kazumi asked, genuinely curious. It really didn't make any sense. The fake smirked again.

"Let's see… Back when you guys were in preschool and some bullies were picking on Yuri… then suddenly they were in the corner crying… ring any bells?" the fake asked, making Kazumi gasp suddenly. She was frozen in shock, completely paralyzed.

"Kazumi?" I asked, worried about her. Was she all right?

"You're… that part of me I struggle to keep under control when I'm angry?" Kazumi asked hesitantly. The fake suddenly began laughing, sounding almost insane.

"You finally remember? It took you long enough! Yes, I'm the psychotic part of you that you struggle to keep locked away whenever you go into your demon form! I'm the part of you threatening to come out, making your powers go berserk and kill everyone you love! I remember what you did the first time you went demon… you completely shut me out, locking me out of your very own body! You were scared of me since you were little, but what you did to me was the final straw! I'm gonna have my revenge! I won't be thrown away again!" the fake screamed out, cackling insanely. I blinked in shock. I had no idea she'd been struggling with something like this all this time.

"Don't let her beat you, sis! You can kick her ass!" Yuri suddenly yelled, looking at her in determination. Kazumi gasped, turning to look at Yuri. Her eyes were hesitant, and she looked afraid. I couldn't bear to see such expressions on her face and not being able to help her.

"Yuri… I – I don't know…" Kazumi muttered hesitantly. I gasped suddenly when the fake dashed forward, hitting Kazumi, knocking her down. Kazumi looked up at her in fright, seeing the fake laugh as a small knife appeared in her hand.

"Kazumi! Just think of her as a normal opponent! Imagine it's Adelbert holding that knife! Run!" I shouted, seeing Kazumi gasp, jumping up and springing away out of reach of the blade. She looked up, still terrified, but at least she could move now. The fake stopped, turning slowly to look at her as she smirked wickedly.

"I'm gonna have some fun after all" she whispered, but Kazumi frowned, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry… You're right… it was wrong of me to reject you. After all, you're a part of me… I won't ever do it again… So please… return to me" Kazumi apologized, holding out her hands for the fake. The fake gasped, looking shocked as tears began falling down her face.

"I... I've been waiting… so long to hear you say those words…" she stated, dropping the knife and running to Kazumi, hugging her tightly. Kazumi hugged her back, smiling gently as a gentle, warm light enveloped them. All of us covered our eyes, then looked out to see just Kazumi standing there. She was looking down at the ground, her arms limp.

"Kazumi? Is it over?" Hisako asked, taking a cautious step forward. She continued to walk towards her as Kazumi remained silent, looking down at the ground. Hisako waved a hand in front of her face, calling out to her again. The next second made me feel like being sick. Kazumi's hand lunged forward, wrapping tightly around Hisako's neck as she gasped, beginning to gag.

"Kazu-chan?" Miko exclaimed. I looked horrified as I saw Kazumi lift her head, the insane grin on her face. She was giggling insanely, then she tripped Hisako's feet out from under her, kneeling over her as her hands tightened around Hisako's neck.

"Hisako!" Wolfram yelled, hesitating between running to them or staying put. What could he do to intervene anyway?

"Kazu-chan! Let Hisako-chi go now!" Shori yelled. Yuri looked terrified and Shoma was just about ready to faint.

"Kazumi… please…" Hisako pleaded, gagging more as the grip around her neck tightened. She coughed, wincing and trying to lift her hands up to pull Kazumi off her. Her strength was clearly leaving her.

"Kazumi!" I yelled, trying to snap some sense into her. Kazumi laughed more, looking up at us, her face twisted wickedly. I was completely frozen, I couldn't do anything. Just as Hisako's arms began to fall, a sudden blast hit Kazumi, making her scream as she was blasted away. Hisako inhaled deeply, coughing as she struggled to sit up. We all looked for the source of the blast, seeing a boy with black, spiky hair and black eyes.

"Murata!" Yuri called out, sounding relieved. Murata frowned, glaring at Kazumi as he walked to Hisako, kneeling and helping her sit up.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us, don't we, me?" he asked, making Hisako smirk, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, let's do this!" she stated, accepting his hand and being pulled to her feet.

"I'm confused… what's going on now?" Miko asked, looking clearly clueless.

"Ken Murata, the second half of the Great Wiseman of Double Black… You see, the soul of the Great Wiseman of Double Black was suddenly split into two. One half became Hisako, the other half became Murata." Yuri explained, making Miko gasp. She suddenly looked very delighted for some reason, rambling on about being soul mates or something. I don't think she really understood what Yuri had just told her.

"Need any help, guys?" Yuri asked, stepping forward with Shori not far behind.

"Yuri… you're hurt… how're you going to be able to fight?" I asked, seeing Yuri turn to me with a smirk on his face. He winked at me, grinning.

"I'm counting on you to get everyone out of here if we fail, you hear me, Conrart?" Yuri asked, making me gasp in shock. What? Wolfram, Miko and Shoma stood nearby me, as we watched them activate their powers.

"This is it! We need to knock her out! Hopefully by then the two halves of her soul will have joined back when she regains consciousness" Murata explained, earning nods from them as they saw Kazumi pull herself back up, grinning madly.

"More play toys?" she asked, giggling. She dashed forward, snatching up the knife and suddenly appeared in front of Yuri, making him gasp.

"Yuri!" I shouted, seeing her slice the knife down as Yuri tried to jump back to dodge. The knife hit the top of his head, making him cry out as he fell down, clutching the top of his head in pain.

"I don't think so!" Hisako yelled, shouldering Kazumi away from Yuri. Shori knelt by Yuri, helping him sit up as he saw all the blood begin running down the side of Yuri's face. Shori growled, glowing blue as his powers began to activate. Yuri opened his eyes, wincing when some blood dripped in his eye, but managed to stand regardless. They both looked at Hisako and Kazumi fighting. Kazumi was swinging her knife randomly and wildly, making it almost impossible for Hisako to dodge. Murata growled, sending out a small blast that Kazumi dodged, giggling as she threw the knife, hitting Murata in the shoulder. Kazumi burst out into laughter, jumping and easily dodging Hisako's attack, swinging her leg and kicking Hisako in the back. Hisako fell onto the ground in a heap as Murata cried out in pain from his wound, kneeling and pulling out the blade. He dropped the blade, covering his shoulder with his hand as he tried to stop the blood from pouring out. His white shirt was now stained red.

Why was this happening? I couldn't believe what was happening before me. It was as if the Kazumi I knew was gone, completely gone. What on earth was going on? I just didn't know any more… Kazumi turned to face Hisako, seeing her struggling to stand. The grin on her face spread out to her ears almost.

"Aww, did we all fall down?" Kazumi asked, giggling insanely. I grit my teeth, I couldn't stand to see her like this any longer! I took a step forward, seeing Yuri turn to look at me. He nodded in approval, motioning for me to continue walking.

"Only you can snap some sense into her… You have the combat experience and the strongest connection to her at the moment… Please, either knock her out or bring her back" Yuri pleaded. I nodded, thinking of what I could do. Kazumi heard the exchange, turning to look at me, grinning again.

"A new playmate?" she asked, beginning to walk towards me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my own heartbeat. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, so I guess I'd have to resort to knocking her out. Kazumi suddenly dashed at me, making me take up a defensive position, deflecting her hit. She grinned in approval, her pupils becoming even smaller as they darted around madly. I was losing her, she was slowly becoming more and more insane. I had to help her, quickly.

"Kazumi… I swear I'll save you!" I mumbled, deciding to take to the offensive. I launched a hit, seeing her barely dodge, jumping back. I darted forward, not giving her any time to recover. She gasped, seeing me suddenly appear in front of her. Her eyes began returning to normal as fear took over her rather than madness. Instead of punching her like I'd intended, I suddenly wrapped her up in my arms, hugging her tightly. She froze, trying to pull away.

"Kazumi… return to us…" I whispered, seeing her try to glare at me, but I covered her lips with mine again. Luckily I was at an angle were only Murata and Hisako could see. Kazumi froze, trembling a little as her eyes began to revert back to normal, and then she suddenly went limp in my arms. I pulled away, holding her in my arms. I knelt, laying her on the ground.

"Kazu-chan? Is she…" Miko asked, approaching with everyone else. I shook my head.

"She's just unconscious. She should be fine" I stated, seeing Murata smile at me in approval.

"You did a good job, Lord Weller. None of us would've been able to do that" Hisako complimented, giving me a grin.

"We should get back home and get you all fixed up before the police show up" Shoma suggested, earning nods from all of us. Home was a place we were all looking forward to after this horrible turn of events. I lifted Kazumi up into my arms, beginning to jog after everyone as we returned back to the Shibuya's. But I just prayed that when Kazumi awoke, she'd be back to her old self…


	22. Akward confessions

**Yuuri**

"Ow! That hurts Mum!" I yelped as she put antiseptic on my cut above my eye. Luckily it wasn't deep and I didn't need stitches. Murata's was a different story, but luckily Mum was skilled in sewing… I don't know why, but that sounded worse than it should have. Murata winced in pain, biting his lip to stop himself from yelling in pain. We both then got bandages put on our wounds. Everyone else was lucky enough not to have been cut, just scratched and bruised. Kazumi was still unconscious on the couch. I don't know how Conrart managed to calm her down by hugging her, but it must've done the trick.

I stood from the seat after my wounds had been bandaged, then knelt beside the bed, watching Kazumi sleep. She looked almost like a doll now that she wasn't insane. I turned to look at Conrart, seeing him watching her sleep too.

"Conrad… When Kazumi wakes up… If she doesn't remember what happened, let's keep it that way, okay?" I asked, gaining everyone's attention as they nodded in agreement. As if on cue, Kazumi began to stir.

"Sis! Are you alright?" I asked, turning to look at her as she struggled to open her eyes. Slowly her black eyes opened to look at mine and she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Yuri? What happened to you?" she asked, pushing herself up so she was sitting. I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head.

"It was an injury he received while fighting the originators" Shori explained, stepping in to save me as I clearly sucked at lying to my twin sister. Kazumi tilted her head in confusion.

"It roughed everyone up more than I thought…" she whispered, looking around at everyone. Luckily Murata had some sense to change into a different shirt so nobody could see he was injured.

"Murata! Hi!" Kazumi greeted, waving to him as he waved back.

"Hi there, Kazu-chan! This is probably our first actual conversation, you know?" Murata replied, sitting on the coffee table, facing Kazumi. She smiled, giggling.

"Yeah, it is. We only really greet each other when we're going our separate ways. Well, it's officially a pleasure to meet you" Kazumi stated, offering him her hand. Murata smiled, accepting and shaking her hand. Hisako appeared beside Murata, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"And just who's best friend do you think you're flirting with?" she asked, a threatening tone in her voice, but she wore a smile on her face. Murata froze, looking a little panicked. Kazumi looked up at Hisako in confusion.

"Hey Hisako… is he…" she asked. Hisako nodded in reply.

"Yep, I guessed right after all. We're both halves of the Great Wiseman of Double Black" Hisako explained, making Kazumi burst out into laughter, saying that that was a first for her. Hisako glared at her, walking towards Kazumi, hands outstretched as she began attacking at Kazumi's hair. Kazumi laughed, trying to push Hisako away from her when Kazumi suddenly froze, looking shocked. Hisako had stopped, remaining frozen too.

"Kazumi?" Hisako asked, tilting her head. Kazumi's eyes remained fixed on Hisako's neck, seeing the bruised markings of where she'd been strangled. Kazumi remained shocked, but her hand reached up, running along the bruises and she gently put her hand on the bruises, realizing it was a perfect match to her hand. Kazumi suddenly gasped, jumping away from Hisako and off the couch. She backed up to the wall, looking terrified.

"Kazumi?" I asked, standing and looking at her worriedly. Hisako was looking down sadly, knowing it had triggered her memory. Kazumi shook her head repeatedly.

"Kazu-chan? It wasn't your fault. You do know that, right?" Mum tried to say but Kazumi let out a shriek as she covered the sides of her head with her hands, quickly dashing out the room and up the stairs to her room. I stood there, watching where she'd left, not know what I was supposed to do. How could I comfort her after such a thing? This wasn't written in my job description or in my manual.

**Kazumi**

How could I have done such a thing? I thought I could control it, but clearly that hadn't been the case. I sniffed; sobbing into my pillow as I gripped it so tightly I thought it was going to break. I just wanted to die, that would be the most suitable punishment for me. After what I had done, I definitely didn't deserve to be Queen, nor friends with any of them… And I definitely didn't deserve to see any of them again. How could they have acted like nothing had happened? I had stabbed Murata, sliced the top of Yuri's head open, and tried to strangle Hisako to death. How could they even stand the sight of me? And to top it all off, I'd tried to fight Conrart, but instead of fighting me, he kissed me, again! What on earth was going on? The world was spinning too quickly and I couldn't keep up.

Just as I was about to sit up, the door opened a crack and I looked up, seeing brown eyes looking at me. It was Conrart, and he looked really worried. I sighed, putting my head back on my pillow as he entered, closing the door behind him. My room was really dark except for the small light on beside my bed. Conrart sat on the floor, leaning on the bed. He remained silent, he just sat there, giving me as much time as I needed.

I don't know how much time passed, but when I finally lifted my head off the pillow to look at him, he turned automatically, giving me a small, warm smile.

"Feel a little better?" he asked, shifting so he was facing me, putting a hand gently on mine.

"A-A little… How can you even stand the sight of me Conrart?" I asked, looking back at the pillow. Conrart blinked in surprise, not sure what to say at first. I continued looking at the pillow, not expecting a response from him when suddenly his arms wrapped around me, pulling me to his chest tightly. I tensed, not having expected it. His arms held me there tightly, yet ever so gently like I was made of fine china. His hand rested on my head, the around was holding my arms and back to him.

"None of us see you any differently. We accept you for who you are, and that is a part of you, so don't worry, it's still just all you. You couldn't control it due to the fact your soul was still fusing, so it wasn't your fault" Conrart explained, making my eyes widen in surprised. Conrart was still resting his chin on my shoulder, but he pulled away a little to give me eye contact.

"And, as your fiancé, I think it's best I tell you now. Kazumi… my opinion of you will never change, no matter what side of yourself you show to me. I'll always love you, and I'm happy to be your fiancé" Conrart added, making me gasp in shock, a blush coating my cheeks. Conrart… loved me? He was okay with the engagement? What about his fear of getting close to someone and losing them? Or had he gotten over that?

Conrart smiled gently, leaning closer to me and kissing my cheek. I couldn't help but form a small smile on my face as he chuckled, looking happier.

"That's the smile I like to see" he said, poking my lips as I blushed more, looking away as my smile grew.

"Well, I won't ask for your reply now… but I'll be waiting, forever and always" Conrart said, chuckling as he went to stand. I blinked in shock, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him down again. This took him by surprise and he lost his footing, letting out a small gasp of surprise as he suddenly fell on me, pinning me to the bed. I blinked in shock, not having expected that to happen in the slightest. He looked just as shocked as me, and our faces both put tomatoes to shame.

"U-Uh… that wasn't meant to happen…" I stammered. I looked up at him and realized that he hadn't moved, but was looking at me curiously. I raised my right hand, giving him a light slap on his left cheek. I beamed a smile at him.

"I'm not very good with words when it comes to this department, but is that answer enough?" I asked, seeing him look shocked before a small smile formed on his face. He looked almost relieved. He bent his elbows, lowering himself till his lips covered mine. Both our eyes closed, we kissed for a good minute or so. Conrart pulled away, sighing before smiling down at me.

"Kazumi, I hereby officially accept your proposal to be your fiancé. I love you." Conrart said, making me blush about forty shades of crimson. How could he say those words so easily? I managed a smile back at him.

"M-Me too…" I stuttered, feeling like smacking myself for having even said anything so embarrassing. Conrart chuckled, moving himself off the bed, offering me his hand. I accepted his offer, and he helped me stand.

"And I also want to add something. I got very jealous of that 'Sakuya' boy you danced with. Next time you dance with anyone, I want your partner to be me, all right?" Conrart added, making me crack up laughing. I wiped the tears away, grinning up at him.

"I had no idea you were the possessive type" I joked, seeing him smirk.

"You'll find I'm very possessive of things that are mine" Conrart said sneakily, making me freeze the spot. Maybe confessing hadn't been the best idea after all? Nah, he couldn't be that possessive, could he? Could he?

Conrart led me back down to everyone else, his hand in mine, and I felt like having a giant hole open up and swallow me. Everyone's eyes found me as soon as we entered and I felt my cheeks go crimson.

"So, it's official now, eh?" Hisako asked, giggling cheekily. I was about to snap at her when Shori beat me to the punch.

"What! Official? What's official? The engagement? What did you do to her?" Shori snapped, glaring at Conrart, but still looking surprised at the same time. Mum squealed in delight, running up to me and hugging me.

"Oh, Kazu-chan! I knew you were developing into a mature young woman! Just make sure you use protection, okay?" Mum said happily as my face almost had steam coming off of it.

"Mum! We haven't done anything like that of the sort! We only talked and came to an understanding!" I yelled, probably louder than I should have. I heard Shori, Dad, Yuri and Murata all sigh in relief as Conrart looked confused and Hisako giggled while Mum sounded disappointed.

"You mean you two haven't gotten that far yet?" Mum whined, looking almost dejected. I gave her a shocked look.

"Mum! Can you please not go spouting stuff like that? It's not very motherly. Not to mention, a mother shouldn't be trying to get her daughter, her fifteen-year-old daughter, to perform explicit stuff like that with boyfriend or fiancé…" I tried to calm my nerves and raging heartbeat. Conrart still looked confused, like I'd spoken some alien language. Yuri sighed, walking to Conrart and whispered into his ear, explaining what Mum was talking about. Conrart looked stunned, his cheeks even going a little pink. Yuri chuckled at Conrart's reaction, then began heading out the front.

"Geez, Mum… You shouldn't be encouraging things like that…" I mumbled, seeing her pout and giving me a sad look. I sighed, turning, heading out the front to get some fresh air. I froze at the door, seeing those thugs ganging up on Yuri again. I frowned, growling. Why did they pick on my brother all the time? What'd he do to deserve this? One of the thugs had grabbed Yuri by the collar of his shirt and another was smacking his head where he'd been cut. Yuri was wincing in pain, trying his hardest not to make any sound to please them.

"Hey! Let my brother go, you freaks!" I snapped, stomping towards them. They looked at me before they began laughing. I glared at them.

"What's so funny?" I asked, seeing the head thug pull out a knife, a switchblade to be more precise. I gasped. I then glared dangerously at him again. He chuckled, tossing the knife between his hands, then pointed it at me while the other three held Yuri down.

"Yuri!" I called out, glaring at them again.

"You guys are gonna have to be taught a lesson the hard way I see!" I snapped, getting ready into a defensive position. The head thug charged at me, but I dodged pretty easily, elbowing him in the back of the head as he stumbled forward. He regained his footing, glaring at me as he charged again, suddenly disappearing, or at least that's how it appeared. He had just moved really fast and appeared behind me. I felt the blade slice across my back, making a scream escape my lips as I stumbled forward. I fell onto my knees and I was trying to get my breathing back to normal. The thug chuckled, looking pleased with himself.

"Kazumi! Get up!" Yuri yelled, but he was hit on the head again, making him yelp in pain. Just as I was about to get up and perform a kick to this guy's groin, Conrart rushed to the door, gasping at the situation before his eyes turned very dark and small. He ran forward, grabbing the wrist of the head thug, twisting it back painfully so he dropped the knife.

"You've got a lot of nerve to hurt them… Just who the hell do you think you four are?" Conrart snapped. I hadn't seen him so angry before. This was new to me, and it was kind of impressive, just as long as you weren't the target of said anger. The head thug tried to make himself look tough, but Conrart's next glare left him shaking in his boots. Conrart let the thug go as he and the other three backed off, dashing out the yard to glance back at us. I'd managed to stand and was suddenly being hugged by Conrart.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked, sounding panicked. I giggled, managing to pluck him off me as I explained I was fine. He nodded and then rushed to Yuri, helping him up.

"Just who the hell is this guy?" the head thug yelled in disbelief. I smirked at him.

"He's my boyfriend. So you mess with me, you mess with him, got that?" I replied, seeing them look shocked. They looked like they almost didn't believe it, but Conrart smirked at them, putting an arm over Yuri's shoulder in a brotherly way, and put his other arm around my side, resting on my hip the way a lover does. They looked at each other in shock and decided leaving was the best option.

"Well, hopefully they'll never be bothering us again" I stated, sighing in relief. Yuri chuckled, smiling up at us.

"Don't you think it's time we returned back to the Great Demon Kingdom? You're better now after all Kazumi" Yuri asked, earning a nod from me.

"Yeah, but I need to get my back checked to first. That thug sliced my back, and I don't know how deep it is" I replied, entering the house as Yuri and Conrart remained outside. They followed not long after, and soon everything was prepared. Mum and Dad inflated and filled the pool Shori, Yuri and I had used as kids, then all of us stood in it, being sucked into the portal, returning back home to the Great Demon Kingdom, where more twists and turns would throw our lives into chaos.


	23. Greta

Things seemed to return to normal in the castle. I saw Conrart nearly every second of every day, not that it was any different from normal, but now we enjoyed each other's presence even more. Yuri had officially become a training guard, served to protecting me. He was trying to be just like Conrart, my own personal bodyguard. I kept trying to tell him that I didn't want him to be such a thing, due to the fact that if he got knocked out, I'd fall unconscious too, but that didn't deter him. He just kept saying that he'd make sure he wasn't knocked unconscious. Boys…

Wolfram continued dragging me into his art studio to paint my portrait with those horrible smelling paints, and Gunter was as over affectionate as ever. He hadn't let me go for a full fifteen minutes when we returned. Gwendal had dumped a load of paper work that I'd missed while I was gone on me the second I arrived, but he stayed and helped me get through it all. And the biggest news of all was the invitation we received to go to Stoffel's castle for Lady Cecilia's wedding to Raven. When the invitation had arrived, I couldn't have been any happier. The two seemed like an adorable couple. I'd have to make sure I gave them my blessing again.

Hisako was at the Tomb of the Great One with Murata. I assumed they were catching up and devising new schemes to get what they wanted, as all sneaky people do. Nicola was now showing in her pregnancy, but she still continued to work hard as my personal handmaid, while Hube was training the guards that were stationed around the castle.

After everything was said and done, and I finally had some time alone, I sighed in relief, letting the hot water of the bath soak my shoulders. I leaned back, submerging my head, then rose again, feeling at peace. I finally had some time to relax and just be me. I had been working nonstop to the point I had gone a night without sleep two days ago. As I was relaxing, I heard footsteps. I turned, seeing Nicola smile at me. I gave her a smile back, seeing her wearing one of the dresses I'd had made for her.

"Lady Kazumi, do you wish to have your back scrubbed? Or maybe a shoulder massage? You've been working so hard you must be stiff." Nicola offered. I giggled. I had to hand it to Nicola, she was going to be an excellent mother. She was so attentive to everything. This child could want nothing more in a mother. Hube would also make a good father. He was stern but kind hearted and uncertain, giving him a friendly and approachable feeling. I nodded, accepting her offer as I stepped out the bath, lying down on the towel she had placed on the floor. I lay on my stomach, moving my hair away as she covered the necessities with another towel, aka my backside, then crawled closer to my side, beginning to massage my shoulders.

I sighed, feeling the tension leave them. Nicola laughed a little, sounding almost amazed.

"Wow, you really built up a lot of stress, Lady Kazumi. You should call me more often to do this, otherwise you'll get cramps if you build stress this easily" Nicola joked. I laughed, agreeing with her.

"Your Majesty? Are you out of the bath yet?" asked a voice and I glanced up at Nicola as she turned to glare at Gunter who'd walked in accidentally. He froze, blushing a little. I don't see why, all he could see was my back and legs. Didn't he see those quite regularly? And it's not like I had enough on my chest for it even to be noticeable even when lying down.

"Gunter? What's taking so long?" asked another voice and I gasped, feeling my own cheeks heat up now. Conrart walked to Gunter and then froze when he saw the situation. He remained composed, closing his eyes as he placed a hand on Gunter's shoulder.

"Come on, Gunter…" he stated, leading Gunter away before he could make even more of a fool of himself. That's the bad thing about the baths here: there are no doors! Anyone could just randomly walk in. I mean, the only one I'd be okay with seeing me naked would be Nicola, Hisako or Anissina. Maybe Lady Celi, but only maybe… Something tells me she'd be one of those girls that like grabbing and comparing breast sizes.

"Well, that was unexpected…" Nicola said, continuing to massage my shoulders. I sighed, no longer really enjoying the massage.

"That's enough, Nicola… Let's just go to the bedroom and pick out what I have to wear to this meeting today" I said, sitting up, wrapping the towel around myself. Nicola nodded, grabbing the towel I'd been laying on, then followed me as I walked to my bedroom. I entered, sitting on the stool as Nicola searched through my wardrobe.

"It seems Lady Celi went through your closet again Lady Kazumi" Nicola reported and I sighed in frustration. I stood, still wrapped in the towel, opening my bedroom door.

"Gunter!" I called out, hearing Gunter scurrying over out the room and to my door. He stopped in front of me, waiting to hear what I had to say.

"I'm in need of clothes… Lady Celi went at it again…" I stated, seeing Gunter sigh again. He wore a smile, walking to a different room, then came back with my school uniform. I thanked him, taking the uniform and closing the door. I let the towel fall then took the remaining clothes from Nicola as I began to get dressed. I'd just gotten my underwear and skirt on when the door burst open and Wolfram stood there.

"Kazumi! Have you seen- Argh!" he yelled when he suddenly realized how I was dressed. His face went red and he slammed the door shut quickly, shutting himself out the room.

"I didn't see anything!" he yelled through the door, making me sigh. I was getting quite sick of being walked in on. I suddenly heard Conrart's voice then heard Hisako speak as well. I guess she must've come back for a bit, but suddenly Wolfram screamed. I gasped, only having put my shirt on, so I was covered entirely, rushing to open the door.

"Wolfram? What's wrong?" I shouted, yanking the door open and seeing him look almost dead on the floor. I blinked in shock, looking at him weirdly. I knelt, poking him to see if he was still alive.

"You alive there?" I asked, earning a grumble response from him.

"Your Majesty, your jacket?" Nicola offered, holding her jacket out for me. I shook my head, feeling just fine in the white shirt.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Thank you though, Nicola" I replied, seeing her smile, bow and put the jacket away. Suddenly Dacascos arrived, panting heavily.

"Your Majesty! There is an urgent matter!" he yelled in his very loud, booming voice he couldn't control very well. I looked at him curiously. Conrart and Hisako also looked confused as Wolfram sat up, rubbing his head.

"Yes? What is it, Dacascos?" I asked, seeing him gulp.

"W-Well, you see… there is a small child claiming, or should I say proclaiming to be, the only ill begotten offspring of Her Majesty!" Dacascos announced, making me gasp in shock. I wasn't sure what the ill begotten bit meant, but I knew the other word.

"W-What? I can't possibly be a mother! I'm only fifteen! There's no way I can be this child's mother! I only started puberty at twelve! So unless the kid's only a year old, there's no way!" I rambled, feeling like I was suddenly being stared at by everyone.

"I don't believe this! You've been cheating on my brother already?" Wolfram snapped, grabbing my neck in a hook lock roughly, making me wince.

"Ow! Ow! Wolfram! I haven't done anything of the sort! How can I possibly be a mother? It's not possible! I'm still a virgin here!" I shouted, plucking him off me. I felt very embarrassed for having ever said such a thing in front of everyone. The commotion had caused Gunter, Gwendal, Yuri and Yozak to arrive.

"If it's not yours… then whose child is it?" Yozak asked, already being informed of the situation. I looked at him. It'd been a while since I'd seen him, at least he looked like he was doing well. I'm glad he didn't get hurt against Stoffel's soldiers.

"The best way to find out is to go straight to the source!" I stated, walking after Dacascos, with everyone else in tow. When we arrived in the hall, I stopped, looking at the small, little girl standing by the guards. She had brown hair that went to her shoulders and brown eyes, both dark in colour. Her skin was darker than Caucasian, but not dark enough to be considered African. Her facial structure was what struck me most. It looked nearly identical to Yuri's and mine. This was going to make it difficult to deny her. She also looked no older than four. As soon as she saw me, tears welled in her eyes and she ran, hugging my legs, or more my knees, tightly, burying her face in my stomach.

"Mummy!" she exclaimed, making me freeze, looking down at her awkwardly. W-What? Mummy? M-Me? I didn't know how to react, but the little girl was determined to make sure I thought I was her mother. She was sobbing into my stomach as I felt my heart break into pieces. Slowly I lowered my arms, one resting on my shoulder, the other patting her head.

"So, is she yours after all?" Gwendal asked and I gasped, turning to look at him in disbelief.

"Unless I had her at ten, no way! I'm not her mother… it's just… she's so adorable…" I mumbled, looking down at the child again. I pulled her off me then knelt in front of her.

"Can you tell me your name?" I asked. The girl blinked, tears still in her eyes, then she smiled brightly.

"Greta!" she exclaimed loudly, hugging me, knocking me on my backside. She was more or less sitting on me, hugging my neck tightly while resting her head by my cheek. I sighed, putting one arm around her.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now… Gunter? Do we keep her here until we know who her real parents are?" I asked, looking up at him. Gunter sighed.

"I guess we have no choice… Greta will remain here under our care until we can find out who her parents are" Gunter explained. I looked down at Greta, eyeing her appearance.

"She's a human, isn't she?" I asked, seeing Gunter nod.

"That in itself proves she's not your real daughter" he stated, and I saw Conrart look like he was almost relieved. Did he not trust me that much? Hisako giggled, walking to me and squatting.

"Greta, Mummy said she wants to make flower crowns!" she said and I gave her a look of disbelief. Wait… what! I'm still Mummy, apparently? Greta suddenly jumped off me, giggling and pulling me up to my feet, running out the door to the courtyard, dragging me to the flower field. She let go of my hand, exclaiming that the flowers were pretty. I stood there, watching her search through the flowers. Everyone else had gathered at the archway that led to the hallway, watching us.

"So, how do you feel now being a father by default?" Yuri asked, looking up at Conrart. Conrart looked at him in shock, not having thought of that.

"I don't know… I never imagined myself becoming a father…" he explained, looking at us with a strange expression. It was hard to read, but I think he was a little happy. Greta arrived with a flower crown, getting me to squat. She placed it on my head, giggling.

"Pretty Mummy!" she said, making me blush, smiling a little. Maybe I could get used to being a mother after all? I mean, I babysat the neighbor's kids when they were three to five. Greta returned back to the flower field and I smiled gently, watching her rummage through the flowers. I pushed myself back up so I was standing then continued watching her. She suddenly dropped her flowers, running to me and began pulling at my hand. I raised a brow, wondering what had caused her to act so panicked.

"Mummy! Run!" she pleaded and I could hear the sincerity in her voice. She was really scared. I knelt down to tell her everything was fine when I saw it, the flash of something by the stairs in the next hall. I gasped, grabbing Greta and jumping to my left just as an arrow zoomed by, narrowly missing me. I rolled on the ground, clutching Greta closely. As we stopped rolling, I pushed myself up, still over Greta protectively. I looked at the arrow on the ground, looking scared as I heard Gunter, Gwendal and Yozak run after the mystery shooter. Greta suddenly began crying loudly and I moved myself, pulling her up into my arms. I hugged her tightly, patting her head gently.

"Shhh, it's okay now… You saved my life… thank you." I whispered, rocking back and forth a little to try and soothe her. Conrart was kneeling by my side with Yuri.

"Are you alright? Are the two of you uninjured?" Conrart asked, sounding panicked. I looked up at him, nodding. Greta was still crying, clinging to me tightly. I sighed, continuing to try to console her. Yuri looked at us sadly, knowing he wouldn't be able to do much to help. He'd never been very good with little kids.

Eventually Greta fell asleep while crying and I carried her to my bedroom, putting her to bed on my bed. I tucked her in, about to turn and leave when I heard her speak.

"I love you, Mummy…" she whispered, her eyes slightly open. I stepped closer, kissing her forehead softly.

"Me too" I whispered, moving away to see her in a deep slumber. I'll admit it, she'd wriggled her way into my heart, and I didn't want to give her up. I was going to find it so hard to give her back to her parents when we found them. As I exited the room after locking the window, I sighed.

"Kazumi? We found her parents" Conrart stated, looking solemn. I gave him a sad look, following after him as we entered the next room. Gunter looked up from his table. Everyone else was seated there, looking sad. Why was everyone so upset? I walked to Gunter, seeing a photo on the table. The girl holding Greta as a baby looked almost identical to me. The only difference was our hair and eye and skin color. Her hair was also just to her chest, but she was very beautiful. The man next to her was of average appearance, but he held his stature of someone with a lot of pride.

"These are Greta's parents? When can I meet with them?" I asked, looking up at Gunter. He just looked down sadly.

"Never… Greta's family – her parents, were murdered a couple days ago… we have reason to believe that they were killed in front of Greta as well. But what I want to know is how Greta made it from human territory all the way to here on her own" Gunter explained, making me look at him, horrified. That little girl had seen the murder of her own parents? And Gunter made a good point… How had she gotten from human territory all the way to the castle on her own in just a few days? Unless… she hadn't come alone? Maybe… that assassin that tried to kill me this morning was the one that killed her parents? And because of the resemblance between her mother and me, he was trying to use Greta to get me to drop my guard so he could kill me?

The more I thought about this, the more disgusted I became. I looked down at the photo of Greta on the table, feeling like I was about to cry, when Greta began crying. I dashed out the room quickly, muttering that I'd see what was wrong.

When I entered the room, I closed the door, seeing Greta sitting up, bawling her eyes out. I sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her as I patted her head softly.

"Did you have a nightmare? It's all right… I'm here…" I whispered, feeling her cling to me. That was when I realized there was a breeze in the room. I suddenly heard the door to exit this room lock and I gasped. Shit… I'd walked right into their trap! I looked behind me to see a man, dressed in black, pointing a sword at me. There was nothing I could do! Greta began screaming and I knew I had to act fast, otherwise both of us would be killed!

"Greta!" I yelled, jumping off the bed to dodge the man's attack, then I carried her to the window as I focused my magic energy, sending her out through the window, making her glide down to the floor. No way in hell was I going to let him hurt me in front of her. She'd seen enough death and blood for her lifetime. Just as I was smiling in my triumph at getting her to safety, I felt a stabbing pain go through me, making me scream in pain. I remained upright, looking down at the sword that was now stabbing through my back and out just below my chest. I felt my breathing become sharp and unstable. The man smirked, pulling out his sword and jumping out the window. My legs gave out and I collapsed into a heap on the floor. My eyes were getting heavy and I saw the red, crimson blood begin covering the floor. This was it. I was going to die. At least I'd been somewhat useful, right? Someone please come and tell me I'd been useful…


	24. In A Land of Dreams

**Hey guys, just a little thing i'd like to let people know. I appreciate the reviews and favs, but just writing things like 'please update' or just 'update' don't inspire me or motivate me. Please write what you like about it, or parts that were your favourite, things like that. That really inspires me to write more, seeing people excited about it, so please take some time with your reviews! thanks!**

_W-Where am I? I-I'm not dead, am I? Someone please tell me I'm not dead, please! Conrart! Where are you? Please! Help me! It hurts! My chest hurts! I can't breathe! Greta! Is she all right? The assassin didn't get her, did he? Please be safe! Everyone, please be all right! The assassin was only after me, so he should've left everyone else alone, right? Please let that be the case!_

"_Come this way. You will be healed of your pain! Everyone's waiting for you!" whispered a voice. I blinked, looking around for the direction I was supposed to be going. All I could see was a glowing, gold atmosphere. Suddenly a figure appeared and I gasped, seeing Conrart. He was smiling, offering me his hand. I sighed in relief, glad that he was all right. I didn't even think. I just ran straight to him. I took his hand, letting him hug me tightly as everything turned a brilliant shade of white. I was blinded as I lost consciousness._

When I opened my eyes, I looked around sleepily. I was in my large bedroom, and I wasn't in any pain either. I pulled myself up into a sit, looking around until my hand rested against someone's arm. I looked down at what my hand had touched and froze, seeing Conrart sleeping right beside me! He was also either shirtless or naked! I felt my face turn a brilliant shade of red. I looked away quickly, looking down at what I was wearing. Wait… when did my breasts get this big? And when did I start wearing nightgowns that looked like they belonged to Lady Celi? As I began sizing up my own chest, which seemed to have miraculously grown about two cup sizes, I heard Conrart stir from his slumber. I immediately stopped and turned to look at him. He looked a little different, though I'm not quite sure what it was.

That's when I felt something odd on my left hand. I looked down, gasping silently to see a gold wedding ring with a pure diamond in the middle of it. I looked at Conrart frantically, seeing a gold wedding ring on his hand too. Just as I began freaking out internally, the door opened and a young teenage woman walked in. She looked similar from somewhere. Maybe it's the fact that I was almost staring into my own face.

"Mama, Papa, come on! It's time to get up! Alva is waiting and Dun is crying in his cot!" she stated, walking around the bed and grabbing my hands, pulling me up to my feet. She laughed, seeing my dumb founded expression.

"Wow, Mama, you're really out of this morning… did Gunter put you through the ringer last night or something?" she asked, grinning cheekily at me. I was even more confused. Who was this young girl, and who were Alva and Dun?

"Greta, you know better than to tease your mother. Let her get her bearings; you can get Dunheely out his cot, can't you? Your mother and I'll be down for breakfast in a few minutes, until then, be a good big sister and help out looking after them, will you?" Conrart asked, making me look shocked for a second. This gorgeous young teenage girl was Greta? And he said big sister… meaning Alva and Dun were our kids? And when did we actually adopt Greta? I stood there, frozen in shock as I stared at Greta. She raised a brow, waving a hand in front of my face to catch my attention.

"Mama? You in there?" she asked, sounding worried now. I shook my head, giving her a smile.

"I'm fine… go do as Conrart asked please?" I stated, trying to sound like a legit parent. Greta smiled, nodding as she skipped out the room. I watched her leave, then walked to the mirror, gasping at my own appearance. Somehow I didn't think I was looking at myself. I looked more like a cross between my mother with black hair and Lady Celi. My hair wasn't even to my waist anymore. It went to my chest and middle back. My eyes had become more slit, no longer large and wide. I have a woman's delicate face instead of a child's and I'd say my body had filled out in all the places it was supposed to.

"I don't believe it…" I muttered quietly, inspecting my face. Conrart chuckled, walking to me from the bed. He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. I tensed, not used to the sensation. Conrart sensed this, looking at me curiously.

"Are you alright, Kazu-dear? You've been acting weird since you woke up…" Conrart asked, and I felt my face go red. Kazu-dear? When did… Oh right, we're married… With kids… Kids of our own… Kids I gave birth to… Meaning we'd… AAHHH! NO! DON'T GO THERE, MIND! BAD! VERY BAD!

"U-Uh… I'm fine! I just had a weird dream about the past! I guess my mind is still thinking from back when we first got together…" I lied. I hope that wasn't too obvious. Conrart chuckled, kissing my neck passionately as I tried not to freak out.

"That's it? I thought I did something wrong… You shouldn't worry me so much, you know I love you more than the world, right?" Conrart asked and I felt my cheeks go crimson and like they were on fire. This is what our relationship was going to turn out like? Maybe admitting my feelings hadn't been the best idea after all. Conrart was… affectionate to say the least. He suddenly turned me, smashing his lips against mine. I was caught off guard, my eyes widening as he pretty much wrestled my mouth with his own. This was way more passionate than the kisses we'd shared.

After about a minute, Conrart finally pulled away, both of us panting heavily. He smirked, resting his forehead against mine.

"Did that bring you back to the present?" he asked, sounding almost smug and proud. I blinked, looking down sadly as I shook my head.

"No, sorry… I'm sorry, Conrart… I've been lying to you since I woke up… I'm not actually the Kazumi you know of this time… For some reason my mind is me as a fifteen-year-old… I don't remember our wedding, having our kids or anything…" I admitted, feeling tears stinging my eyes. Conrart clearly loved me so much, I couldn't stand to lie to him any longer. Conrart blinked in shock, trying to process what I'd just said to him. He suddenly began chuckling.

"Wow, that must've been some dream" he joked, giving me a smirk. The tears began spilling over as he gasped, looking shocked.

"I'm serious Conrart… I'm only the fifteen-year-old Kazumi from long ago… I'm not the one you married…" I stated, tears falling and staining my face. Conrart stood there in shock. He smiled gently, hugging me tightly to his bare chest. I noticed he was wearing long pants, probably his. Conrart began rubbing my back gently, holding the back of my head in his other hand. I sniffed, trying to control my emotions.

"You mean… you woke up suddenly in this older body?" Conrart asked, trying to console me. I nodded, sniffing as I hugged him tighter. Suddenly Conrart's hands began digging into my shoulders. I winced from the pain, thinking maybe he was just as distraught as me. Maybe he was angry? I looked up, gasping at what I saw. Conrart's face wasn't even human anymore! It was a skeleton, with glowing eyes! He was dressed in what Conrart had been wearing, and looked almost like a Flybone tribe member, but without the wings, and slightly more demonic in appearance. His mouth chattered away, making me try to get away from him instinctively.

"No!" I screamed, knocking his hands, or bones, away from me as I rushed out the room. He began running after me, with the same skill and speed as the real Conrart. I ran down the hallway, cursing this long nightgown for not having a split to make it easier to run in. I could hear the clunk of bone hitting concrete every time his feet contacted the ground. I ran into the closest room I could find, gasping to see what was supposed to be Greta, Alva and Dun. They were skeleton versions of themselves, glancing at me with glowing red eyes. I took a step back, seeing their demonic faces locked straight onto me.

"No… No!" I screamed, seeing them suddenly dash at me, chasing after me. What had I done? All I did was tell them the truth, why had everything turned into a sudden nightmare? This wasn't real, was it? It couldn't be real! I ran down the hallway, narrowly avoiding Conrart's swipe at me, and ran down the next path. When I glanced behind me, I noticed more people had joined in chasing me. One appeared to be Gunter and the other looked like Yuri! Even Yuri had turned into a skeleton!

I ran into the next room, shutting the door quickly and holding back the sudden bash at it. I was nearly thrown forward from the force, but I managed to keep it shut. I locked the door, pushing the table against it with all my might to stop anyone coming in. That was when I heard more clatters of bones. I slowly turned, seeing two skeleton's rise to chatter at me. I gasped, feeling my veins freeze over. One was Wolfram, the other was Hisako. Even them! I was so terrified I'm surprised I even noticed the wedding rings on their hands.

"Let us in…" whispered a voice behind the door and I gasped, letting out a scream as a hand burst through the door. It narrowly missed me and I jumped away from the door. Hisako and Wolfram walked closer to me, making me dash to the window as quickly as I could.

"Boney! Anyone!" I screamed, backing against it as they got closer. The door had been opened and even Gwendal, Anissina and Shori had joined in chasing me. Just what was going on? The window suddenly opened behind me and I nearly fell backwards out of it.

"You could have lived happily here with us, but you had to ruin the image… Telling the truth will destroy things… You cannot be allowed to live…" Conrart's skeleton chattered in a low, hissing whisper. It wasn't his voice anymore. All the glowing red eyes seemed to pierce into me. I was about to let out a scream when a voice caught my attention.

"This way! Hurry!" called a female voice. It sounded like bells and chimes, so pretty and soft. I turned, wondering which way I was supposed to go.

"Where?" I screamed, seeing them get closer. Please, voice! Please, help me!

"Out the window! Hurry!" the voice stated. I wasted no time, I turned, launching myself out the window. Conrart's hand swiped at me, trying to get me, but it only tore some of my dress. I felt myself flying, or falling, not sure. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I waited for the voices next instruction, but the ground was coming up really quick! I hit the balcony veranda, rolling and fell to the ground in the courtyard. I somehow managed to land on my feet and looked around. All the staff were skeletons too! The moment they spotted me, they instantly ran at me.

"What now, voice?" I screamed, running away from them. It seemed to take the voice a minute to respond.

"Out the palace! Hurry!" she said. I ran towards the exit of the castle, but gasped when I saw the gates closing. No! This wasn't happening! The gates closed before I made it out. I slammed against the giant doors, whacking my fist against it.

"Open up! I need to get out! Let me out!" I screamed, tears falling down my face.

"Like I said… you can't be allowed to leave here alive" stated the low hissing whisper from earlier. I turned, seeing everyone, and I mean everyone, as skeletons, looking at me menacingly. I backed against the doors, feeling like all hope was lost. I wasn't getting out of this, no matter how I viewed it.

"Don't give up!" yelled the voice. It sounded really loud now. It sounded like she was on the other side of these doors. I closed my eyes, feeling energy begin to flow through me. This was the first time I'd ever used my powers without transforming. I turned sharply, letting the power explode from my hand. It blasted the doors wide open. I heard the skeletons rush at me and faced them, letting the power explode from my other hand, encasing them in ice. They looked furious, but I lowered my hands, seeing a bright exit. A woman was standing there. She had long, pale hair, blue eyes and looked familiar. She was smiling at me proudly. I ran to her and heard her giggle. I looked down, gasping when I realized I'd returned back to my original body, this nightgown was now too big!

"U-Um… thank you… Who are you?" I asked, looking up at her again. She smiled gently, hugging me tightly. I froze up, but relaxed when I felt a warm, familiar sensation.

"I'm so proud of you… My name is Julia… But never mind me, he's waiting for you… Go to him" Julia stated, letting me go and pointing behind her. I looked where she was pointing and saw a bright light shining at us. I turned to look back at Julia, but she'd suddenly disappeared. Where'd she go? As I looked around for her, I suddenly heard voices.

"Will she ever wake up?" asked a voice. I recognized it… Yuri! I turned towards the light, seeing an image appear on it. I was watching my body laying still on a bed. I was bandaged heavily around her chest and looked extremely pale. Conrart was sitting on a chair beside the bed, holding my hand tightly in his. He was remaining quiet. He looked the same as when I'd fallen ill. Yuri, Hisako, Wolfram and Gisela were standing around, looking at me worriedly.

"Her injuries are completely healed, so I don't see why she's not waking up… It's been four days now! There's nothing physically wrong with her body" Gisela explained, looking distraught. I gasped, seeing the rest of them look at me sadly.

"Does this mean… we'll have to choose Yuri to be the Demon King in her stead?" Wolfram asked, sounding very sad. Hisako clenched her hands tightly.

"Don't… Don't you dare talk about Kazumi that way! She will wake up! She will! I know she will! She's never let us down before, and she won't now! She's just taking her time to recover from the shock of almost being assassinated!" Hisako snapped, looking at Wolfram with a glare as tears ran down her face. She looked pretty scary. Wolfram merely lowered his head in apology. Wow, everyone was really out of it…

"Go to them… they need you… he needs you" urged Julia and I looked around instinctively for her. She was still nowhere to be found. I looked at the scene playing out in front of me, then began walking to it. I let myself become engulfed in the light, shielding my eyes. Everything began to feel warm and fuzzy.

When I opened my eyes again, I was on the bed. I could feel someone's hand tightly around mine. I looked down to see Conrart resting our hands against his forehead, his eyes closed as if he were asleep. Gisela, Wolfram, Yuri and Hisako were in conversation and hadn't even noticed my waking up.

"Hey… what's up, you guys?" I asked, seeing all of their eyes widen, looking at me in shock and disbelief. I giggled, finding their expressions kind of funny. Conrart was the first to suddenly hug me. He leaned over, hugging me tightly. I froze, blinking in shock. Yes, this was the real Conrart. He felt warm and familiar, compared to that other Conrart. Yuri, Gisela, Hisako and Wolfram approached us as well, smiling at me in relief.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Your Majesty!" Gisela exclaimed, checking my wrest for my vital signs to see if I was okay. Yuri looked like he was about to cry, Hisako already was crying, and Wolfram was looking away in a pout, but I could tell he was secretly happy.

"Try sitting up, Your Majesty." Gisela instructed. Conrart sat back up and I pulled myself up into a sitting position. I sat up, seeing her nod in approval.

"Did that hurt?" she asked. I thought for a second before looked at her.

"Only a little… So, what happened anyway?" I asked, looking confused.

"The assassin snuck away from Yozak who was watching him secretly and snuck into the room, using when Greta had a nightmare to trap you. We found Greta out in the courtyard unharmed. She's currently with Anissina, quite happy actually. We found you on the floor in a puddle of blood. You had been stabbed by a long blade through your back and out your chest. You nearly died of blood loss, but Yuri gave you some of his blood with Gisela's help. And Yozak also found out that it's not just one assassin; it's a group of at least three. They're the ones that killed Greta's parents and are using her to try and kill you" Conrart explained, looking at me worriedly. I nodded; absorbing everything he'd told me.

"You idiot! Why didn't you fight back!?" Hisako suddenly shouted, looking at me angrily. The tears weren't stopping and she looked furious.

"I'm sorry, I had to protect Greta first… She's seen enough death and blood in front of her, so I made sure I got her out safely so she wouldn't see me get hurt" I explained, seeing her look a little relieved, but also mad.

"You idiot!" she said, half in a chuckle as she hugged me tightly, crying into my shoulder.

"I thought I was going to lose my only friend who understands me! Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed, sobbing into my shoulder as she gave me a light bonk on the head. Yes, this is where I belonged, not in that imaginary world of the future. Not in a world where everyone suddenly turns into skeletons and tries to kill me either. This world, and this time, is my home. Conrart gently squeezed my hand in his, giving me a warm, loving smile.

"Thank Julia… she brought me back" I whispered, seeing him gasp, looking shocked. The shock died down though as he smiled again, looking even more lovingly at me. Conrart was affectionate, but not like the one from that other world. This was the Conrart I knew, and this was my Conrart.


	25. A Tragic Means to an End

"Mummy!" Shouted Greta as she ran to me from the courtyard. I smiled, kneeling to her and letting her hug me. My wound had nearly completely closed during the time I was unconscious so I was allowed out my room. Conrart stood beside me, watching happily. Anissina approached with a big smile on her face. I think Greta had grown on her.

"Mummy! Are you better now?" Greta asked, pulling away from me to look at me worriedly. I gave her a smile, giggling.

"Nearly all better! Thank you, Anissina" I stated, standing back up to give her a thankful smile.

"Naturally. She's quite an intelligent little girl. She helped me come up with quite a few experiments I'll create soon!" Anissina stated, making me instantly worried for the safety of everyone in the castle.

"Mummy! Kitty!" Greta stated happily, lifting up Seraphina in her arms clumsily. I giggled, seeing the unimpressed look on her face.

"Daddy! Look at the kitty!" Greta suddenly said, making me freeze. Wait, who was Daddy?

"I see, Greta! Seraphina looks like a doll, doesn't she?" Conrart stated, smiling as he knelt down, patting Seraphina's head. Oh, Conrart was Daddy… wait… Conrart was Daddy? When did this happen?

"U-Um… Gunter? C-Can I talk to you?" I asked, turning to look at Gunter as he looked almost amazed at the fact that I said I wanted to talk to him. He led me to the study, closing the door behind him and turned to look at me.

"Um… I was wondering… Would I be able to adopt Greta?" I asked, seeing him look shocked. He then began to smile gently at me, almost smirking to himself.

"We had a feeling you'd ask that when you woke up. Conrart's already adopted her as your daughter. So now we have the Queen, the Princess and soon to be Prince. Seeing as Conrart is not technically royalty anymore, he cannot assume the role of King, merely Prince or Duke" Gunter explained. I smiled, understanding what he was saying. I looked out at the door, feeling happy about the fact that knew me so well.

"Oh, and your brother is leading one of our armies on the borderline of our country. There was a dispute there, so he's there to gain some experience. Gwendal is there too to help him out." Gunter explained. I thought to myself for a while.

"Are they aware that I'm awake yet?" I asked, looking at him. He shook his head.

"Okay, then I want to go there. I want Yuri to relax and see that I'm awake. Even though he probably already knows, I'd still like to surprise them!" I asked, seeing Gunter sigh.

"I know there's no stopping you… and getting you out may allow us to catch the people trying to take your life" Gunter stated, smiling halfheartedly. I giggled in triumph, exiting the room after thanking him. I walked over to where everyone else was, seeing Greta on Conrart's shoulders, giggling happily.

"Conrart, I'm heading over to where Gwendal and Yuri are. Do you want to come with me, or are you staying here?" I asked. Conrart looked shocked, but smiled regardless.

"I'll come with you, Kazumi. Wolfram, Murata, and I will accompany you. Anymore would give away that you were leaving with us" Conrart stated, already aware that Gunter was going to try and catch the assassins while we were gone.

"You go see your brother. I'll stay here and pretend to be you so the assassins won't know you've left." Hisako stated, giggling at me. I gave her a thankful look, hugging her tightly.

"Hisako! Thank you!" I exclaimed, feeling her freeze up in my hold. She twitched uncomfortably and then began to slowly relax.

"Y-Yeah… okay… You can stop hugging me now…" Hisako stated, sounding very awkward. I giggled, letting her go and holding her shoulders.

"You're the best!" I exclaimed, giving her a grin. She sighed, looking like she was wondering how on earth she got stuck with me again.

"Fine! Whatever! Go!" she said exaggeratedly, then gave me a smile. I giggled, turning to look at Conrart, seeing him smiling at me. Greta gave me a curious look and I gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Mummy and daddy have to go for a little. But I promise I'll be back in a few days, okay?" I stated, kneeling to her and seeing her smile at me.

"Okay, mummy!" she exclaimed, hugging me. Hisako sighed, giving me a strange look. It was mixed with multiple emotions, but the main one I could see was that she knew she wasn't good with children. She'll have a hard time dealing with Greta.

"Alright, men! Are we ready to go?" Yelled Conrart, going into military mode. I sat on my horse, a brown cloak covering me so no one could tell my identity. Murata sat on the back of Wolfram's horse, and all four of us were wearing cloaks. This was to try and fool the assassins. I don't really know how this was supposed to trick them, but Wolfram claimed it would work. All of Conrart's squad sat on their horses behind us, shouting out that they were ready. None of them were cloaked though. They all looked like average men, but beautiful like Wolfram or Gwendal's squad.

"Come on, let's go see how Yuri's doing" Murata suggested, laughing when Wolfram huffed to himself.

"We're off!" Conrart commanded, leading his horse out in the lead. I made my horse follow after Wolfram and Murata, then the rest of the squad followed behind us. It took a while, but eventually we made it to a creek at the halfway point. We stopped to let the horses graze and drink, while we sat on a blanket, eating our lunch.

"So, what'd the maids pack for us today?" Murata asked aloud as he opened the box and blinked when he saw a traditional Japanese style bento. I leaned closer, gasping when I noticed what it was.

"What the? That's Japanese…" I stated, pulling out an octopus shaped wiener.

"What the hell is that?" Wolfram exclaimed, looking almost mortified for some reason. It wasn't that bad looking was it? I turned the wiener around, freezing when I saw what had shocked him. The wiener had a horribly etched face drawn on it, making it look almost demonic. I sighed.

"Hisako…" I sighed. I should've known she'd do something like this.

"Well! Bon appétit! Thank you Hisako for this meal!" Murata thanked, grabbing the wiener out my hand and popping it in his mouth. I reached out for it, trying to stop him.

"Ah! Murata! No! Don't!" I tried to warn him, but it was too late. He'd already begun eating it. He chewed for a few seconds, making me think that maybe this one was safe, but his face suddenly froze and his cheeks began going red. I felt panic begin to set in.

"Murata? Murata! Murata, talk to me! What's wrong?" I asked, feeling panicked at the fact that Murata was choking. Turns out he wasn't choking, but the food had been way too spicy, as I found out when Murata suddenly yelled out that it was hot and he needed about two bottles of water. I sighed in relief, laying flat on my stomach to relax. After that panic attack, nearly all my strength was gone and my legs felt like jell-o. Murata was laying on his back, a bottle of water stuck in his mouth and he was pretty much breathing in the water.

Wolfram sat with his back turned to us. I had no clue what he was doing. Conrart returned from patrolling the area to give us curious looks.

"What on earth happened here?" he asked, looking worried.

"Hisako's cooking…" I replied, seeing him chuckle at Murata. His cheeks were still red from the spices, but at least he could finally go a few seconds without having to drink something.

"Murata ended up becoming the guinea pig. One sausage ended up burning his mouth." I explained, hearing Conrart laugh.

"I don't get what you guys are talking about, this stuff's good!" Wolfram stated, turned to reveal he'd eaten more than half of the bento already. Murata and I sat up, looking shocked at the fact that Wolfram hadn't begun cursing or burst into flames already.

"Eh? You can eat that Wolfram?" I exclaimed, looking amazed. Wolfram looked down at the bento, putting some of the omelet in his mouth.

"Well yeah, it's a little spicy, but it's edible" Wolfram explained, his mouth still full.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Murata stated, seeing Wolfram looked confused. He chuckled, giving me a smile as Wolfram just looked even more confused.

"Goodness… looks like I missed out on all the fun." Conrart stated, sitting by us and pulling out the other lunch the maids had cooked. This was a proper lunch, one that Hisako hadn't touched. Well, I probably shouldn't say proper, cause the one Hisako made was a proper bento, but edible would probably be the better word. I gave Conrart a grateful smile as Murata did the same and we began eating the lunch.

"Alright, let's get to our destination before nightfall!" Conrart yelled to the men as we all rode on our horses, heading to the village my brother and Gwendal were at. I was beginning to get excited at seeing Yuri. It felt like forever since I had last seen him.

Our riding arrangement was the same, much to Wolfram's disgust at the fact that Murata was behind him, and eventually we saw the outline of the village in view. I gasped, seeing the village looked almost abandoned. Just what had happened?

"This is horrible…" Murata stated, jumping off the horse and heading for one of the houses.

"Murata!" I called out, jumping off my own horse and following after him quickly. I entered the house after him, looking to my left and right before I bumped into his back. I glanced at him curiously.

"What made you stop?" I asked, peering over his shoulder and freezing. My blood froze cold, as I remained fixed like a statue. I'd never seen so much of the color red. Three mangled bodies of what looked like young children lay sprawled on the ground. They were cut into pieces and almost all their blood had splattered across the floor and walls. I couldn't even tell what had been used to kill these children, and their identities would remain forever a secret. They were too mangled to ever be put together again.

"This is…" Murata began to say, looking as pale as a ghost. My stomach began churning.

"Kazumi? We should go…" Conrart began to say with Wolfram behind him when they spotted the bodies of the children. Conrart gasped, looking horrified as Wolfram exited the house quickly.

"This is disgusting…" I stated, kneeling down by the bodies of the children. I'm pretty sure blood was getting on my pants, but I didn't care. I brushed some of the hair from the head of one of the children, gasping at his expression and the state his head was in. The top, right side of his head had been smashed off and I could see bits of the inside of his skull. His expression was one of utter horror. I gently ran my hand along his cheek, saying a prayer inside my head for his family and for him.

"We should leave now." Murata stated, putting a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him, and he saw how pale my skin had gotten.

"How could someone do this? These are innocent children with their entire lives ahead of them! How could someone honestly take pleasure in this kind of thing?" I exclaimed, feeling tears begin to fall down my cheeks. Murata gave me a sympathetic look, helping me stand.

"I don't know… Some people just do…" Murata stated, beginning to lead me out. Conrart glanced back at the children, sighing, then exited after us.

"I just don't get it…" I muttered, looking down as we exited the house, but stopped when we heard Wolfram yell out. I gasped, running to him when I saw something come at me at an incredible speed. I jumped back to dodge, falling on my backside.

"Kazumi! Run!" Wolfram yelled, hitting the cloaked man that had tried to hit me. I looked up fearfully, seeing him glare at me, trying to strike at me. The entire cavalry had been knocked unconscious and now it was only Wolfram, Murata, Conrart, and myself left conscious. I screamed, covering my face with my arms when someone suddenly tackled me out the way. I looked up, seeing Murata glare at the cloaked assassin who had just tried to strike me. Conrart ran out the house after hearing our screams, but was suddenly entangled in ropes by a trap some other assassins had set by the door. I gasped, seeing him struggle to free his arms, which were tied to his sides.

"This isn't good! Run, Kazumi!" Murata exclaimed, pushing me away as the assassin came at us again. Murata prepared himself for the worst when Wolfram jumped in front, the clanging of metal ringing through the area.

"Wolfram!" I called out, looking around fearfully.

"Kazumi! You have to run! This whole thing was a set up! You have to get out of here! You have your sword with you. Use it to protect yourself! Now go! Find Gwendal and Yuri! They're in the next town!" Wolfram shouted, looking at us. Murata turned to give me a serious look.

"Go! Now!" he shouted, giving me a final push and I began running in the direction I had been pushed to. I glanced back at them, worried that they might be killed, but I continued running.

After about half an hour of running, I finally began seeing the outskirts of the town Gwendal and Yuri were in. I sighed in relief, my running beginning to slow down when I tripped on something sharp. I fell forward, breaking my fall with my arms. I looked at what I had tripped on, gasping to see a wire. I looked up, seeing one of the cloaked assassins walk towards me. I tried to push myself away from him, realizing I was trapped. I saw his sword rise up to strike me, making me gasp. Everything seemed to run in slow motion, the sword flew down at me, and all I saw was red as my scream ripped through the area.

"That was Kazumi!" Wolfram shouted, gasping as he looked at the direction of the scream. Conrart, Wolfram and Murata had been freed from their bindings when she ran off, and they were in pursuit on their horses. Conrart wasted no time; he immediately began galloping in the direction of the scream. He only prayed he wasn't too late. Wolfram and Murata galloped after him, arriving at the spot to see nothing but a large pool of blood and Kazumi's sword laying on the ground. Conrart stood there, looking down at the pool of blood with a horrified expression. He knelt, looking like he was trying to reach for the blood, but grabbed the sword, holding it in his hands. He grit his teeth, inhaling.

"KAZUMI!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, praying she would hear the shout and yell out to him in return. But no other sound resonated from the area except for the heavy rain that began to fall.

SEE YOU IN SEASON 2!


End file.
